It is dark. The only light comes from the crescent moon barely illuminating the sky. I sat on an abandoned beach, alone. The waves come up and crash to the shore violently. The wind was terse and freezing. I was trapped inside my mind, or was this real. I don't know. I'm lost. When will the sun rise and the moon set.
"Hello," my voice echoed.
The sound of my own voice calling back to me and drowning by the ocean's sound was a strange sound to my ears. The loneliness nagging at me, scraping at the little bit of sanity I had left. Please, someone be here. I walked across the esplanade. I continued waiting for someone; something. The town beyond the each was dead. Quiet. I saw a sign displayed over head in blue lettering. It read 'MOURNING AFTER'. Is that where I am. Was I mourning something. A death, something lost? What is this place?
I saw a child. From a distance it looked like a little girl. I began walking towards cautiously, trying not to frighten her. As I got closer her silhouette began fleeing. I picked up my pace into a sprint, chasing after her.
"Come back," my voice called out still echoing in the distance.
Could she hear me? Could she even see me?
"Please,Stop," just as those words escaped my mouth she froze in her footsteps. Then she proceeded to sit down onto the beach. As I approached her she was humming. It sounded familiar but so strange. Could it be she was humming Silent Night. Her hair a soft tawny color. Her face made me gasp. Something about it was off. Was it her eyes? They were were sullen; dark as if nothing was there. She looked directly at me and it was true. She had no eyes just empty sockets that were covered with skin. I began to feel uneasy. The world began to spin. It must have been a combination of the girl and the salty air that had made me sick. Nauseous is more like it.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Who am I?"
She nodded. Who am I was just the right question. I didn't know the answer, or just couldn't remember. So I didn't seem as strange as I felt I made myself a name.
"I'm Selena," I answered.
"I'm Ariana."
"How old are you?"
"I don't know. I've been here so long."
"How..." I stopped myself before I offended her. I needed her so I could figure out where I am, and how I can get home. Where ever home is.
"Would you like to join me on a walk?" Ariana offered.
"Yes, but where to?"
She got up and began walking with no answer. So without further questioning I simply followed. Questions began flooding my mind. Who am I? Where am I? Who is she?
She came to a halt outside of a store. It's lights gleamed a faint green. It's baneful presence was overwhelming. I froze outside the building. Ariana turned around and looked at me with her empty eyes.
"What's wrong?" she questioned.
"Nothing," I responded.
"Fine, I will just go in without you," her voice trailed off as she passed through the threshold of the building.
I still followed and Ariana was aware of my presence. Somehow she knew me better than I knew myself. Was she a psychic? A demon? I don't know. Even with those haunting questions I still was willing to follow. Inside the store it was crazy with all the doors and hallways; it was a maze. Ariana still seemed to know where she was going. On our jaunt, to what I think was the center of the building, I noticed paintings hung on the wall. Paintings of a familiar face, but I couldn't conjure any words to it. Finally reaching what I thought was the center of the building a frump woman dressed in dark rags.
"I am the Eastwick witch. Ariana," she stopped and pointed to a restroom. Ariana freely went to it, I went to follow her, but the witch stopped me. "Not you," her voice hissed.
I stood there patiently waiting for several minutes until Ariana returned with a stack of papers.
"Follow," she beckoned.
I did as she said. Our journey back seemed a lot shorter. We exited out the double doors to get hit by a chilling wind. Then to the sea we walked. Ariana sat down and began folding. One after another making sailboats. She kissed each as she set them off to the sea. The boat then coasted deeper into the horizon of the dark sea, and disappearing.
"Take your worries and set them adrift into the sea of troubles," Ariana insisted.
I began writing when she stopped me," With every worry you must send an item."
I took off the jewelry i found upon my body sent each of my worrying questions each into the sea. When the last of jewelry vanished beyond the horizon I pondered if anything had changed. Nothing.
"What now?" I questioned.
"All your worries?" she pushed.
"I am the last of my worry"
"You can't send yourself."
"Then what?"
"Me."
She took me by the hand and lead me to the edge of the sea where the water came up to our mid calf. Before I could protest she hugged me and set off further without me. As she faded into evanescence the sun started to break through the clouds. As the light shone into the sand it sparkled like diamonds and the sea became glass , clear and still. I felt a pang of compunction setting Ariana out to sea for my torment.
Footsteps appeared beside my feet leading me to the maze store. Inside I followed them back to the Eastwick witch. This time she held the door open for me in the restroom. A single mirror resided within fogged with writing on it. The smudged words read, 'With your worries blinding you made me see. Now free let you see. You can't hold onto pain forever. Now see.'
The mirror cleared and Ariana stood in the reflection. With marvelous green eyes in place of empty sockets. I stared into them amazed on how familiar they looked. I put the hands to my face and the Ariana's followed simultaneously. Her eyes widened just as mine did. Suddenly it went black.
With a gasp a jolted forward being awakened by a blinding light. Faces filled the room. Family. Friends.
The Eastwick witch was there too dressed in white scrubs, "How are you doing, Ariana?"
"What?"
"You just awoke from your coma. Are you okay?"
