depp

The world is a beautiful place, she said But only when viewed from afar The closer you get the more you see Steel will bend Concrete will crumble Artificial neon lights the way To a hellscape of urban filth and decay People are marvelous creatures, she said But only when kept at arm's length Should you let the wrong one near They will tear you limb from limb The sweetest dreams become fevered nightmares When a forked tongue resides in an angel's mouth There is nothing so wonderful as life, she said Except, perhaps, for death We embrace one and long for another And sometimes, Just sometimes, The feeling is exactly the same

She could smile and laugh And tell stories with ease And sing so fine She could do anything She could be the sun and moon The breeze off the ocean The whisper in your ear She could be anything And every night when her head hit the pillow she dreamed of drowning and knew that she was nothing

I don't know how long I have been here. It could be days or even years. I have given up trying to keep track. Time has no relevance in the tunnel. I stagger along in pitch darkness, the chill in the air seeping into my skin. I keep one hand on the wall, feeling for hidden passages that could lead me away from this place, but all I've ever felt is damp rock against my palms. The only sounds are the drum of my heartbeat and the echos of my footsteps. The sound reverberates against the stone and sneaks up behind me, convincing me that there are other people here with me, but it is just an illusion. When I turn to look, there is only more inky black. My breath catches in my throat. After all this time, I am still alone. There is a part of me that remembers light and warmth. The sound of laughter. The feel of the sun on my face. I recall those memories now, clinging to them in desperation as I move ahead. It is this singular thought that