mellifluous

i

i shielded my eyes as i walked

out into the world and everything

hit my irises with a shocking brilliance.

i'd been locked away in a hospital

for so long.

wait until the wounds heal;

wait until you can at least remember

enough to go through a day in your

once normal life.

i was tired of the green walls and dry food

but taking that step on the grass meant

facing the world that had done this to me,

and that was so overwhelming- so filled

with terror- that it suffocated me,

and i contemplated running back inside.

but my mother came behind me,

laying a gentle hand on my back and leading

me to the car.

and soon, i was back home.

a place i was surprised i remembered.

i walked through the halls, running my fingers

over the worn wallpaper and smiling at the photos.

but there was one,

at the end of the hall,

and it stopped me. i turned and squinted,

cursing the ache in my head that blocked the memory.

there was a boy in the photo, undoubtedly my age.

he was grinning

and hugging me

and the look in my eyes

was so bright,

i thought i should remember.

a memory that pure should have stayed.

but no matter how hard i searched i

couldn't find it.