There is a vast sea before me; a wide body of water that goes on and on for miles on end. The misty shores were desolate and only the cry of birds echoed in this liquid fortress of solitude. And yet, despite seeing this landscape...I know that I'm falling deeper and deeper within this mighty sea's grasp. The scent of salt numbs my senses while the blur caused by water fills my sight. But even still, breathing doesn't seem to be a problem.
In the distance, something seemed to be making some noise. The stomping sound of what seemed like hooves disturbed the ground where the waves crashed without fail. There, somewhere over my horizon was a sign of life.
Where is this place, I wonder…The silence was deafening, but was much better than the sound orders barked at me every waking day. Here, there was a dull sensation that was akin to drowning yet the threat to life was absent.
Alone in this place of refuge all was well. The outside factors that made life a gruelling chore were not present. The stillness of the ocean from this depth was calming and soothing though at the same time instilled a feeling of loneliness and sadness.
This seemed fine and all, so why...?
Why do I feel the need to call out to those who stood firm at the shore?
In this confused stupor, the girl who continuously fell within the deep abyss lifted her hand to reach for the surface. At this point, it felt as if the comfort she had earlier had disappeared and the dreadful feeling of being drowned sank in. Water began to fill her lungs and her eyes began to sting. The salt water that entered her mouth definitely robbed her of her breathing.
At this point she began to feel lightheaded due to the absence of oxygen in her system, but as her eyes closed as if about to fall into a state of unconsciousness, a sound made it all the way to her ears. Unclear as it was, the young one was certain that it was a splash. Not to mention, she noticed a silhouette approaching. When the child tried to speak, she only incurred more of the ocean's wrath thus drowning her all the more. When finally darkness consumed her, the figure's arm shot out as if reaching for her own that was outstretched.
In the comfort of an average sized canopy bed sat a young girl no older than 15. Heavy and labored breaths echoed within the walls of the room as a cold sweat descended her forehead. In the vivid memory that she had of her dream where breathing was next to impossible, the sensation it seemed, was carried over to reality. Never in her life had she felt something so serious to the point where she thought that she would be an arm's length towards death. Though this was a scenario that she didn't mind one bit, dying in her sleep wasn't something that she was all too excited for.
Images flashed in her mind and all that she could see was a looming figure, a dark shadow that tried to reach out for her. There in the depths of the vast and endless sea, was a man or creature that hoped to bring her salvation.
"I'm right here."
The sound of the man's voice echoed in her head. The girl dropped back into the soft mattress and sank down slightly. Onyx orbs stared at the ceiling, the light in her eyes seemingly extinguished. She felt close to the ends of demise and yet that sound was like a touch of light. Comforting, there was nothing else to do but ponder as she once again drifted to the land of slumbers.
Deep as the depths of the sea and reassuring as the fact that there was no escape from it, Aminah Zubin Naz Tir's path to the future was but a dream away.
