Not Dead

Chapter 4

I couldn't see, I couldn't move. I was chained to a black wall, my best friend, laying lifeless besides me. The chains wouldn't break, no lights were here to turn on.

I was trapped in my own personal dungeon, my mind.

While driving in the truck, I started to accept my fate. There is no way I could run, and walking; limping in my case, wouldn't get me anywhere fast. While sitting in here, I couldn't help but wonder how it would be like.. Outside of the car, trapped with that asshole.. What would he do to me? So my mind wandered and roamed, until I saw this place.

It was like a living hell, and the worst part is, the worst punishment is my thoughts.

Vanessa, however, was dead. There was no way around that. I would know, I'm laying right besides her. She was somewhat alive for a few minutes, but died from the blood loss. I know people would remember her... But the sad thing is that she would slowly fade away.

No matter how much you love someone, life goes on. Whether it's distance or death that separates you, life doesn't wait. At first you are upset, devastated. But then you slowly have to face reality, and a year or two later, that person is only a distant memory. There is always someone right there to replace her, and of course it's never the same. You never smile as bright, laugh as hard, but you convinced yourself that you are ok. But then you get used to the new person, used to life, without that person. And soon, your smile is back, and so is your laugh. And then one day, years ahead, you look back. You smile, a sad smile, but your ok. It was only a memory.

I didn't want her to be just a memory. She was worth so much more.

Flashback

"Lindsey!" Vanessa cried. I walked towards her, and the 5 year old me screamed when she saw a bug. "No! Don't hurt it." She pleaded. "Get me the dust pan." She ordered. She was a very smart 5 year old, and she spoke very fluently. I didn't speak at all, though. I nodded, before toddling to the dustpan, and running back to her. She picked up the bug with the dust pan, before letting it outside. As it flew away from the pillow, she spoke "From now on, we shall not hurt any one. Even if it's a bug, everyone has a life." I nodded, before returning my gaze to the bug.

Flash back over

And we kept that promise. We never hurt a soul. Vanessa believed she could save the world, and I believed in her. I slid off the Ring she gave me in the 5th grade. Engraved inside, 'Our World' from the Time my dad was still around. It was just me and her, and now I'm all alone.

I tried not to cry, but that's the only thing I did. I cried a silent cry. Not screaming, not making a sound. Instead, tears just rolled down my face, as I mouthed everything that I wanted to say. Sometimes my voice would escape, forming gibberish, and cracking non- stop. I had to stop myself, though. Hyperventilating is not a good thing in a cramped truck. Instead, I took my ring, and slid it on her finger. I returned to my dungeon of a mind, when I realized something. It wasn't dark at all. Everything was bright, and pictures hung on a invisible wall. I walked closer to them, and I started to see the pictures. They were the best memories I had. I would know because Vanessa is in each of them.

As I started reaching the end, the brightness started fading, and I was left with a single note. 'I did save the world, Lindsey. I saved our world.' The paper started to whither, and crumble like a flower. The pictures started pealing of the frame, fluttering away with the crumbled paper. Each paper took a piece of the light away. Soon, everything was dark again.

But it wasn't like my mind. It was pitch black, but I wasn't chained. I just want to wake up..

I forced my tired eyes open. I couldn't take the pain of the memories. Especially since I am laying next to her lifeless body. Suddenly, the car jolted forward, shoving me around the cramped truck.

And my hell began.