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- The Luminous Path
- Stars faded in the brooding night sky, and clouds rolled back and forth ominously. It would
- have been a rather pretty sight to behold, except I was lying on the ground with a severe headache and a
- lack of pants. I felt for my golden pocket watch, something that was so very dear to me, though in this
- state I couldn't discern why. Patting my bare leg gave me an epiphany: I was completely de-clothed.
- Startled at this realization, I jumped up and scanned the area for any signs of danger and/or pants. I
- found nothing, nothing except a twinkling light billowing directly in front of me, sheltered by tree
- among tree. In fact, I did a quick spin around and realized I was beleaguered by forest, with the clearing
- around me being the only saving grace. I put my focus back onto the light and decided to myself that if I
- indeed could not remember how I got here and I indeed am lacking pants, following this light might be
- the only thing bridging me between dying here in a cold land and living in a warm abode. With a quick
- internal debate, I decided to throw caution to the wind and set off on a journey towards the
- indiscriminate light.
- Thick vines lashed out at me as I braved my way through the forest. It seemed lighter going
- in, but as I continued deeper and deeper, tree stumps and the ground formed an irrational ratio. For the
- sake of saving myself from embarrassment, I'm going to pretend I didn't trip over jagged rocks and plant
- my face deep into the soil a few times. But what I did do was follow that beautiful light. I never seemed
- closer, it always seemed farther. I felt like I had been walking through the jungle substitute for hours and
- felt hunger pangs vibrate in my consciousness... and stomach. I became distracted by my hunger and
- let my eyes off of the light as I searched the leaf-grazed forest ground. An ant convoy seemed to be
- minding their own business, but in this dimly lit growth, it could have very well been a span of rocks. I
- then entertained myself with thoughts of tiny pebbles marching throughout the woodland, searching for
- food and adventure, then quickly reminded myself I was hungry, which led me to search for anything
- edible or at the very least digestible. As I searched, I realized my mistake and hastily brought my eyes
- forward, and observed the absence of the light. I felt a knot in my stomach form as the sudden
- realization that my only compass had disappeared in this horrible thicket, when the next basic human
- need arrived at my subconsciousness: water.
- It was at this moment when nature seemed to answer my plea for help, and I
- heard the faint rushing of water. It was also at this moment that my mind began to erupt into
- horrible thoughts of my sudden untimely demise, and the wondrous thoughts that if I do die, someone
- is going to find me laid up against a tree, completely naked. I panicked, and rushed the sound of waves.
- I blew through branch after branch, bramble after bramble, vine after vine in this godforsaken coppice.
- As if a cliche ruled my life, my foot played football with a large boulder and the boulder won, sending
- my body rocketing forwards. I crashed into putrid smelling muck, caking my face with the earth. I
- screamed at the sudden pain flowing throughout my figure, but the dirt muffled it to the point where
- only the rushing tributary could listen to my embarrassment. Wait, what? Tributary?
- I raised my body up and although I could not see anything besides the rough dirt and a
- disheveled earthworm crawling around, I heard the rushing water before me. I cautiously took a few
- steps forward, balancing the dangers of being blind and being near a rippling river when I slid on smooth
- clay and launched forward into the coursing creek. I thrashed around aimlessly trying to get a grip on
- an outward root or a boulder or anything but instead found only the comfort of more rushing water.
- The torrent of water whip lashed me and washed the mud off of my visage, allowing the benefit of seeing
- how close I was to dying, with jagged rocks protruding out of the base of the river, inviting me to be
- stabbed and killed. I screamed as I passed by the rocks, each one discussing the benefits of being stabbed,
- my frame being beaten and slashed and bruised and maimed by the emotionless hazards. I wished for
- my family, if they even existed, and I wished I could be reunited with my golden pocket watch and
- gaze upon the picture inside just once more. I began to form sentimental thoughts of my eventual death
- and that I would've rather died doing something incredible, like riding a blimp with a saddle and cowboy
- hat, rather than dying in a dark estuary completely naked, when the river began to thin itself and become
- narrower. The rush died down and became slow and steady as I plummeted back into the earth for a
- second time.
- I rose from the ground for the third time tonight and observed my surroundings, then
- realized I couldn't observe my surroundings because my features were once again caked with gunk, so I
- approached the creek with caution and washed the mud off, scrubbing with deep concentration and
- flinching in pain as I dug into my wounds. As I finished ridding my face of the rest of the gunk, I felt
- around my body and realized how wounded I was. Cuts and scrapes littered my face like unwelcome
- pimples on a teenager. Deep wounds and stabs formed a constellation over my frame. My legs and arms
- had the honor of showcasing tearing and blood. After observing my body for a few minutes, I doubled
- over in pain and let tears wash over me. Through misty eyes I examined something I thought lost forever,
- Light.
- The world stood still. Branches stopped swaying. Leaves rested on the earth. The creek
- refused to budge. I didn't hear any birds on this awful journey but if they existed, they were silent. My
- eyes pierced the light, yet the light seemed to pierce my eyes. I wiped my teary eyes and stumbled
- forward, ignoring my bruises and wounds. I hobbled at an alarming pace, a hobble turned into a walk, a
- walk turned into a sprint, a sprint turned into a dash. I almost seemed to glide through the forest,
- avoiding nature's obstacles, staying close to the river but with a goal on my mind. The creek and light
- finally guided me to my destination. As I stepped out of a few trees, I found what produced the soft glow
- of beams that began and ended my journey.
- Darkness continued to shroud the coppice, yet I could still make out miniscule details
- with the help of the abode's light. The wooden cabin stood tall at what appeared to be roughly two
- stories high, with windows plastered all around, shining gently into the forest. A porch guarded the
- home, with ancient rocking chairs ruling the decoration. I would have continued to describe the
- exterior when all the lights went out. A confused expression formed on my features until roughly
- a minute passed and the lights flickered back on. I had then realized that I had simply stood here in the
- boundaries of timber and home and decided to march my way to this gateway to freedom. As I walked,
- I began to regain feeling in my frame and was able to walk almost like a normal person could. I strolled
- towards the front door and climbed the creaking steps. I raised my fist to knock the door but froze. I
- stared intently at the entrance and felt a sense of familiarity. I felt as if I had knocked on this door many,
- many times ago. I struggled with my fist, feeling conflict with the door. I probably would have stood
- there for hours if I hadn't smelled a peculiar scent, but I did. My nose stiffened and I noticed a window
- to my left was cracked open, welcoming any visitor or danger. I peered through and viewed an empty
- living room, complete with a crackling fire place. This registered the thought that someone was home,
- and thus, I ignored my odd sense of DΓ©jΓ vu and knocked on the door. Patience ran thin as minutes ran
- by. I knocked twice, thrice, then overwhelming panic set in. I started thinking things I didn't want to
- think, remembering things I didn't want to remember. In my exploding state of mind, I slammed my foot
- into the door, sending the wooden barrier flying across the room, and sending splinters all into my
- bare foot. Ignoring the pain, I stumbled through the doorway and into the living room. My mind was
- screaming, and I felt like I wanted to plunge myself into the fireplace. I was afraid, I couldn't figure out
- what this cabin was doing to me. I viewed another doorway and bashed through it, and in that moment I
- regretted ever following the light.
- Bodies. Bodies laid up everywhere. An old man formed a snow angel on the ground,
- with what was I assumed his cane piercing his heart. Two young children were face down, slumped
- over in their chairs, both with gunshot wounds in their scalp. A young woman was bolted to the fridge
- by a knife. I drew close to this woman, and examined her face. It was one of surprise and of terror,
- preserving the moment of a horrible event. I leaned in close and tears unexpectedly streamed
- down my face. I uttered a word I didn't think possible.
- Mom.
- Red. Red everywhere. My vision was plastered with red. I started to dry heave, I vomited.
- My vision blurred. Where was I? My father, he lay there. My brother and sister, they lay over there. My
- mind became fragmented. I couldn't see straight. Lights flickered on and off, blinding my hazy vision. I
- unclenched my jaw to scream but not a sound came out. I channeled my emotions through physical
- destruction and burst through the back door, ending up back into the forest from which I had escaped. In
- my hazy state I found the river that brought me here and followed it into the darkness. Tears littered
- the path as my mind began to form memories and thoughts. I wanted whoever committed this atrocity
- buried in the ground, and if it hadn't happened already, I was going to do it with my bare hands.
- Running dwindled to ambling. I couldn't process images through my brain except for my
- only companion, the river that had hurt me. I followed the river to its end, a rotting tree stump. It was
- gloomy, but I was able to distinguish shapes laying on the stump. I drew near and discovered that they
- were clothes. I brushed them with my hand and felt blood, still wet. My eyes widened at the epiphany that
- the murderer could be right in this very clearing. I felt my body grow cold as I veered my eyesight to the
- left and found a loaded revolver laying next to the stump. I grasped the weapon with sweaty palms and
- cocked it. The only thought going through my brain was that of murder. I debated how I was going to
- punish the horrible stain of a human being when a particularly shiny object glimmered beneath the
- clothes. I hesitated, as if I knew what was coming next, but I pressed on and shoved my hand
- underneath, and produced a golden pocket watch.
- I achieved enlightenment at the cost of my sanity. I pieced together the puzzle using the clues
- I had stumbled across on this accursed stump, and screamed to the stars for penance. My eyes hovered
- above the pocket watch, and every muscle in my chassis restrained itself to stop me from disclosing the
- details hidden within the miniature clock, but I refused their proposal and ripped it open. A lone picture
- of my mother, father, brother, and sister stared back at me. I stood still, not daring to move an inch. I
- turned to the bloodied attire and tried them on. It was a perfect fit. I looked around at the beleaguering
- woodland that surrounded me, that surrounded this creek, that surrounded this stump. Wind billowed
- softly, caressing my cheeks. Mist hung close to the ground. The night sky kissed the earth goodnight,
- and the sun slowly climbed the trees. I laid my bruised and beaten body up against the stump and let
- tears expel from my eyes. I clenched the golden pocket watch in one hand and used my other hand to
- guide the revolver's barrel to my head. Though no one could ever hear me, I whispered the first words
- of the morning to the world, with a hoarse gasp.
- "I'm sorry."
- And as I slowly pulled my finger towards the trigger, I thought to myself once more, a simple
- phrase. "I achieved enlightenment at the cost of my sanity." And then, I pulled the trigger. And then, the
- birds of the forest awakened and scattered. And then, the forest stood still. And then, the earth stood still.
- And then there was silence.
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