Written by: Mariana Golphin
Have you ever felt so alone that even in the sun you only see darkness?
So empty that your thoughts echo as if they are bouncing off the walls of a long forgotten cave.
At that moment you question life and nothing you do seems to fit the job description of what’s involved with living it.
Breathing hurts because your lungs collapsed from a knife that ripped through them and went straight into your heart.
How can something metaphysical hurt?
How can something so seemingly intangible hit you like a professional heavyweight boxer.
It leaves you laying on the floor of the ring.
You are drenched in a pool of your tears.
He stands over you and starts the count.
Ten!
Nine!
Eight!
You don’t want to stand.
You can’t stand.
Paralyzed, you have forgotten how to walk.
Seven!
Six!
Five!
Your conscious is trying to wake you up yelling.
Listen!
Dammit it listen to them!
Four!
Your red, bloodshot, swollen eyes fight to focus because the tears are still falling.
Slowly they appear out of the darkness.
Get up!
Get up!
Blurred images turn into familiar faces.
They are screaming for you.
They are cheering for you.
They want you to fight.
They need you to fight.
All isn’t loss.
Three!
Two!
Don’t let that bastard count to one.