Darkness and Everything in Between

Help Me

The sun appears to be setting. I look around finding it strange that I can't feel its' warmth against my skin only I can't seem to find it. I try speaking out, but I can't find my voice. There's no one in sight, but I'm guessing bugs still exist because of the stinging in my arm. The bug bite really stings and I'm shocked as I feel the pain rush through my veins. It feels like I've been punched in the head repeatedly as I'm thrown to ground cradling my head, praying for the pain to subside even the slightest.

"Make it stop!"

I wake up drenched in my own sweat which is odd seeing as it's winter. My head is pounding and I can't seem to shake the cold sweat running down my back. I hate getting sick. A thick fog settles in my head making it impossible to think straight, and with finals coming up, getting sick is the last thing I need.

I get up and start to make a list of things I need to do today. I need to review, and do my chores, and then help Alacia with her studying too. And then tutoring with Ashton. I needed to call him and soon.

I quickly run to the bathroom, and find some aspirin in the cabinet and swallow three for extra measure. I check the rooms to see if anyone is awake or home for that matter and find Celio sprawled on top of his bed sheets. He looks so careless; something I hadn't seen in a long time. I remember when we were kids he would never stop talking. He would talk about the sky and the depth of the color, about the trees and the oxygen that gave us the air we needed, about people that passed by on the street and what they were most likely thinking about. He was my big brother that I always looked up to. That I will always look up to.

I walk over to his sleeping form, and gently shake him awake. "Celio?" He grunts. Probably the only response I'll get. "I'm going to the park to get some air. I don't think you want to come by the looks of it, but I thought you'd like to know." He opens one eye, but I'm not sure he's actually looking at me. He turns his head to the other side and shoos me away with his hand. I sigh and head back to my room to change. If I want to do everything on my list I have to hurry. I put on jeans and a jacket that aren't very thick, but it's too late to change and it's not like I'll be out for a long time anyways.

I head downstairs, and write a note in case Celio wasn't aware of what I was saying or if my mom comes home and I'm not here. Making sure to grab my keys, I head out thrilled to be getting some fresh air. I decide to walk to the park seeing as it's not far and lose myself in the music that comes from the rustle of the trees and the whistle of the wind. I finally feel my muscles relaxing although I'm not sure why they were tensed in the first place. The wind has picked up, but lucky for me I've finally made it to the park where I used to run around when I was nothing but a careless toddler.

I get on the swing and it creaks under my weight, and I'm actually quite offended. I laugh at myself for thinking something as stupid as that. The swings don't offer much protection from the wind, so I went into the woods following the trail I had memorized long ago. The leaves crunched beneath my feet and left muddy footprints in the sprinkle of white snow that decorated the forest ground. After a while I was worried I had forgotten where I was going but then the trees opened up to a rock that was perched perfectly by the side of a frozen creek I had longed claimed as my favorite spot in town.

I carefully tested the iced creek, afraid it wasn't strong enough to hold me up. Not that there was any chance I would drown if my foot went through, but I surely didn't want to go to the hospital to have my foot sawn off because of the freezing weather. It was slippery, and I slid back and forth across the ice with a huge smile spread across my face. I don't think I'd smiled like this in a long time, and I was filled with joy to be out in nature like this.

I was going down the creek, still on the ice, but I thought it best to go back to the rock where I was at. I tried to stop, but it was too late. There was a drop up ahead. If the creek were water rather than ice I probably would've only soaked my shoes, but the ice made me fearful. I swung my arms in an attempt to stop myself, but it didn't work and I found myself heading straight for the icy ground. I put my hands out to catch myself, but they slipped too, and then there was a sharp pain that resounded throughout my head.

I heard a faint buzzing in my ears, but I knew there couldn't be any bugs around. I groaned from the throbbing pain in head. I felt something slippery and thought the ice had broken and I was getting wet by the creek water, but when I raised my hand to my head I saw red on my fingers. I could feel my heart pumping louder and harder. Oh god this can't be happening.

The last thing I saw were wiry branches of the trees reaching out to my limp form.

A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING. Please continue to read and I promise I will be more active. I have summer assignments, so that's what my summer consisted of. Sorry again.