Between Worlds

((note- please listen to the music while reading this. :) ))

I looked around with wide eyes. Giant, bright orbs floated soundlessly in what seemed to be a sea of darkness. I approached a familiar orb of light, and realized it wasn't just an orb. I moved closer. It was the world of a child. A world seen through innocent eyes, where friends never really left and pain was just a scrape from the neighborhood playground. I remember this world, I loved it so much. But the world began to fade right before my eyes. A little girl stood in front of me, wearing a nightgown that I used to wear before I went to bed. I reached out to her, to save her from the world she lived in that was now beginning to fade. She reached back, and in that moment, the world shook and the orb shattered into millions of small fragments of memory. The fragments drifted away, blown like flower petals from an invisible wind. "Wait! Come back!!" I took off and chased the memories. Tears formed in my eyes. "Don't leave me here..." I ran as fast as I could and chased the fragments. It was no use. I fell down on my knees and began to cry, but I wiped my tears away. There was still my other worlds. I stood up and walked toward another orb of light and smiled. "I love you, you know that right?" I whispered to the boy smiling at me from inside the orb. The world began to crack. I threw myself forward to save it, but it shattered as well. The memories cut deep into my flesh as I watched the fragments drift away and disappear. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I moved my hand to my chest and pulled out a small glowing sphere. I let it grow in my hand and it became another world. Not before long, it too began to fade. Desperate, I began to create as many worlds as I could, no matter how unrealistic or farfetched they seemed. In each new world, I put more and more pieces of me. I started to feel empty as the worlds I created crumbled and disappeared, along with the pieces I had left inside them. At last, when I couldn't take it any longer, I fell face first on the ground and sobbed. I screamed and pulled clumps of my hair as tears flowed down my cheeks. I had created more worlds than anyone could have ever created. Hundreds, even thousands - remembered or forgotten. I heard the faint sound of another crashing world nearby, but I didn't even bother lifting a finger to chase it anymore. I closed my eyes. . . I can't take this anymore. Nothing is working. I mean nothing. I have no reason to keep existing. I've given so much of me away, all these memories have left so many painful scars on my skin, I'm so tired, torn, broken. . . lonely. Nobody will notice if I just stop existing will they? . . What am I doing wrong? . . .
What am I missing?
And slowly, I drifted to sleep.
.
.
.
After a long time, I tiredly opened my eyes and got to my feet again. "That's strange..." I whispered. In front of me was a sea of darkness. I looked closer, and saw a little, insignificant looking ball of light hovering above the dark water. Curious, I stepped a little closer to the water's edge. Something felt different about it. Three more orbs faded and shattered behind me. "Is it worth it?" I asked myself. I sighed, and chose. I took my first step and followed the little light.
My feet met the water's surface, but I did not sink. The light grew brighter with each step, and I walked forward. . . as I listened to the great crashing and shattering of all the worlds I left behind. My eyes fixed straight ahead, curiously following the light. One step. . . another step. . . I looked down at the dark water below my feet. "So this is who I am. . . " I whispered. I laughed at my reflection then sprinted forward. As I ran above the dark waters, I reached my hand out.
"Almost. . . There. . ." I chased it with joy. My feet felt so light, almost as if I was running on air. With a final jump, I caught it. It was mine, it was finally mine. After a few seconds suspended in air, I fell into the dark water. I started to suffocate, but I held the little fire close to my chest and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I saw another girl looking at me. We were the same age. She stared at me curiously, looking as if she had been crying for the past few days. Slowly, I revealed the light from my chest. . . and it grew
bigger and brighter than any world I've ever seen.

I lifted my arms and shared the light with the girl in front of me.