A Hope

I hum a careless melody to myself as I lay in the dark and quiet, watching the flickering wicks of the candles surrounding me. It’s calming, the candles and humming bringing me peace in this time. I look at the clock, 2:03AM, my favorite time of day. Everyone else is asleep and it’s quiet and the perfect time to think and write. I grab my notebook and pencil and start writing. Just writing about everything and anything that comes to mind; candles, trees, comfy pillows, colorful socks, and Disney movies I enjoy. I finally finish, my hunger to write abated for now. My eye lids are heavy, and I look at the clock 4:58 AM. With a sigh I drop my papers and pencil on the carpet, blow out the candles, and roll over to my right side, the side I always sleep on, and my back feels empty, it’s cold and all alone. I think about a week ago before he left for his trip and I drift off with a smile on my face but my heart heavy with longing.



It’s a black and icy pool and I’m standing at the waters edge, looking in. I know that something lurks within its dark depths, something evil and menacing to humans and all creatures alike. I start to turn away, to get away from the dark and foreboding pool, but the ground begins shaking violently and I’m knocked sideways into the pool. The iciness grips my body, stealing away my breath. The water around me trembles still and I know I won’t get out. I can feel it in my bones, in my heart, and in my soul. I know I am trapped here, doomed to die within these merciless waters. Then the water stops moving, all is calm. Everything is black, or maybe that’s because I refuse to open my eyes, afraid to see what lurks within this icy pool of death. But my fear can only last so long. I need air, and I need to get out of here. In order to do that I need to figure out which way is up and down… and therefore I need to open my eyes and find the lightest colored area and swim toward it. And so fighting my fears, and my burning lungs, I open my eyes a crack. Nothing is there, I open them wider, still nothing, and finally I fully open and there’s nothing but darkness ahead of me. I slowly spin counter clockwise trying to find a light. And I see it. On my left it’s a dark grey compared to the rest of inky blackness. I start swimming towards it, my lungs on fire now. I get closer and closer to the surface, almost out of air now and so close to being free. Inches away from breaking through the surface I feel a cold and slimy hand grip my foot and slightly pull down. I kick at it, keeping my focus on the surface and afraid to see that of which is below me. But the hand, if that’s what it even is, won’t budge and I kick again. I finally brave a glimpse and scream, letting out all the oxygen I had left. It’s pale, almost luminescent, is long and lanky, and looks like me… Its red eyes stare at me and it breaks out in a wide grin, its point razor sharp teeth showing. I try to scream again and I can’t. I don’t have any oxygen left. Gulping in water now, I try fighting it off, frantically kicking it where ever I can hit it. But it just drags me farther and farther down, away from the surface, away from survival. I start loosing consciousness, everything becoming foggy and hazy. My hand lazily drifts up, towards the surface, reaching still for a thread of hope. And I’m going deeper and deeper into the blackness below…

Then I feel it, barely. It’s a human hand and it’s gripping mine, dragging me through the water. But I’m so far gone I hardly even notice. All I feel is a hand, gripping mine tightly, never letting go…

And I’m back at the edge of the pool, dripping wet and freezing cold. I sit up and look around. I’m all alone. But I had thought for sure that I had felt it, had felt his touch, Confused and tired I drag myself away from the pool and from the horrors and curl up and drift off into a deep sleep…



I wake up to someone calling my name. My eyes flutter open and I roll over, right into my best friend.

“You okay?” he asks. “I heard screaming and then crying…” He looks at me with concern and gentleness in his face, staring into my eyes.

I look at him, never happier to ever see someone, and glad to know that he’ll always be there for me. “You saved me,” I said. And then I threw myself into his arms and cried.