Reach

Our Fellow Member:

Reach
Originally uploaded by sume.

This picture was the grahic for the story. Sume posted this for Storytime group. Originally blogged On Sume's Blog .

"This one was an experiment...

Leaving the box...

It begins with a question of "why". The cracking open of a door into the world of reasoning. I see the light, reach for it, but I'm afraid to step through. The dark is comforting, simple, anonymous. Everything is uniform and there is no need to interpret or think. Voices whisper and hands tug at my clothes. "Don't go!" they tell me, "It will burn you!"

I hesitate, fear swelling in my throat, doubt meshing my feet to the floor. "If you leave, you'll be alone. No one will save you." I want to turn away, but I'm mesmerized by the way the thin sheet of illumination cuts through the darkness. I want to touch it, to see how it envelopes my fingers. I take a step forward, but the whispers become louder, angrier, more insistent. "You will be lost to us! You go to something you cannot understand. You condemn yourself! Stay!"

I want to understand. There is something familiar about the way the sheet of light reveals the dust dancers crossing its path. The memories come a little at a time. There is something familiar about the sting as it peels the lacquer from my eyes and the thwack as my skull splits open under its intensity. This place was a beacon once. I was in a dark place like this once before and was drawn here when it sparkled and flared.

When did the light go out? Ahhh...we became too lax, too comfortable, too trusting. No one was left to tend it, keep it going. As we slowly sunk into the comfort of our stunted minds, it just winked out. No longer able to tell if our eyes were opened or closed in the darkness, we let our lids fall and slept.

Some of us dreamed, unable to completely forget. When one shouted, "Why!" in her sleep, it unsealed the door and the blade of light stabbed at our eyes until they opened. Some fled calling it an evil thing, a temptation to lure us away to be consumed. Some of us remembered and were curious, but we feared it after our long slumber.

I reach out my hand in wonder and let it touch me. I wanted to draw comfort from it, to lighten my sluggish body, but it sears me to my heart and crushes me to the floor. When the light hits my face, it shoves sorrow down my throat and squeezes tears from my eyes. Dark hands claw at my legs and the whispers rise to a screeching in my ears, "You have deceived yourself and look how you are punished!"

For a moment, I simply struggle to suck in the air. It has become gritty like pulverized glass. Over-stimulated nerves hum and pop and long-dormant muscles scrape against bone as I struggle to move away from the dark. The door is wide open now and I am revealed, no longer a shadow trapped within a shadow that was my dormant mind. My brain crackles and ignites as I struggle with the concept of "choice". I force myself to stand, pushing away the clutching hands, closing my ears to the screaming condemnations emanating from the darkness.

As I pass through the door and into the full force of daylight, I am consumed by pain, sorrow, joy, fulfillment, disappointment, confusion. With absolute acceptance and without bitterness, I realize they were right. The light is fire: warmth, scorching flame, blinding light and illumination. It is heavy and harsh, but my feet are remembering how to move. Calmness comes with knowing I have chosen the struggle. Strength comes with the acceptance of what that means. I move forward hesitantly, a breath for each step and soon I feel as if I can walk forever."

What A wonderful story. Great image.


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