Chapter 33A - Tightrope

I breathe in and out shakily to calm myself, and gradually I feel my beating heart slow down and my brain go quieter. My head still throbs and my body still aches from earlier’s events. I’m too exhausted to panic any longer. There’s no point in it, anyway…

I pick myself back up and walk to the room I’ve resided in for the past few months. I hoped I wouldn’t have to see it again, but… there really is no getting out of here, isn’t there?

Too tired to think straight, I fall onto the bed and wrap myself in the covers. I wish I could sleep the rest of my life away, not in pain, not under stress, but peacefully in a flower-filled land that only exists within my mind.

It’s not long before I find myself dreaming again. The ground feels unstable underneath me and I open my eyes to learn I’m standing on a tightrope, high above the sky, under a rushing river where sharp rocks threaten to impale me if I fall.

I panic and nearly fall, holding onto the tightrope for dear life. On the other side, Calista is staring at me expressionlessly. She’s wearing the same outfit she had on the last day I saw her, and the flower in her hair is wilted.

I cry out for help. She only watches me struggle to hold on. I try to climb towards her but my grip is slipping and the tightrope threatens to break, the thin string slowly breaking apart.

I’ve almost reached her until the rope snaps, leaving me falling below in an instant, my stomach sinking with dread and my hope shattered as sharp, jagged rocks under the water prepare to be stained with my own crimson red blood.

I wake up in a cold sweat, thankful for the realization that it was all only another nightmare. I haven’t had one in quite a bit… they used to occur so frequently back in the day that Calista would get concerned and try everything to help me stop. She would gift me all kinds of candles and teas she hoped would stop me from having such terrible nightmares, but they never really did that much…

I rub my eyes, recollecting my thoughts, and remembering yesterday’s events. I wonder where Ell1s went off to. It’s better off if I just leave him alone. As much as I want to lay in bed all day, I should probably venture around for a bit and at least eat something…

◄ ⚠ ►