I toss and turn in my bed, unable to sleep. For as long as I can remember, insomnia has been my constant companion. But tonight, something feels different. Something feels…off.
I sit up in bed and look around my darkened room. That’s when I see it – a shadowy figure standing in the corner. I rub my eyes, thinking it’s just my sleep-deprived mind playing tricks on me. But when I open them again, the figure is still there.
“Who…who are you?” I stammer.
The figure doesn’t answer. Instead, it glides towards me, its movements slow and deliberate. I try to scream, but no sound comes out.
As the figure draws closer, I can make out its features – skeletal face, empty eye sockets, ragged robes that seem to be made of shadows themselves. It’s Death, come to claim me at last.
But Death doesn’t take me away. Instead, it touches me with cold bony fingers, and suddenly I’m standing outside my own body, looking down at myself lying in bed.
I’m dead. But I’m still conscious, still aware.
At first, I’m relieved. No more insomnia, no more endless nights of staring at the ceiling. But then I realize that Death has something else in store for me – a fate far worse than any sleepless night.
I’m trapped in a world of darkness and shadows, filled with the moans and whispers of lost souls. There’s no escape from this place – no light, no hope.
I try to scream, but my voice is gone. I try to run, but my feet won’t move. All I can do is wander aimlessly through this nightmare realm, searching for some way out.
Days…weeks…months…I lose track of time in this place where time has no meaning. And then, just when I think I can’t take it anymore, Death appears before me once again.
“Is this…is this Hell?” I whisper.
Death doesn’t answer. Instead, it holds out a bony hand, beckoning me to follow. Reluctantly, I take its hand, and suddenly I’m back in my own body, gasping for air.
I look around my room, half-expecting to see Death still there. But there’s nothing, just the same old familiar surroundings.
But something has changed. Something inside me has shifted. I know that Death is still out there, waiting for me. But now, I’m not afraid.
For the first time in my life, I’m ready to face whatever comes next.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Dalli. Publisher: Cyber.
