No Where

Connection

Honey

Noisy breaths invaded her senses

Wake up

Ropes slithering around her ankles

Open your eyes

The ropes squeezed her neck. A vile pain spread throughout her chest to the bone. Jane's body was starving for oxygen.

You're living in your subconscious.

She struggled to open her heavy eyelids.

You are deep down ... in your repressed thoughts .... in an ominous darkness. 

Breathing as if no air would ever be enough, as if she were a drowning victim suddenly brought up from the depths. She fell on her knees, hands on the wooden floor, her long brown hair almost touching the ground.

"Get away!" She spoke barely a whisper.

Looking around the room, she couldn't decipher the owner of the voice that was crushing her from the inside, the walls of her lungs were falling apart, and she couldn't bare the feeling any longer.

RRRRRRuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!

It was a boom to her heart.

She sprinted at the lethal voice that echoed into her spine.

Still breathing without any restrictions, outside her room, into the corridor and outside the cottage to the endless land, allowing the cascading darkness to possess all what was left of her sanity.

She stopped! Dragging her rubbery knees, helplessly, she walked, bare feet, on a carpet of lifeless brown leaves.

Surrendering to the sorrow and pain, the daylight of the rivers clearing, the powerful rays of the scorching sun appeared over the horizon, but despite this, the breeze had a pleasant coolness and the bright colours contained the softness of the time just after sunrise. The sound of running water in the river had a relaxing sensation, a hypnotic quality. Jane wanted to see her mom, hug her tightly. She just wanted time to stand still.

***  ***  ***  ***  *** ***  ***  *** ***
James looked at the portrait. He had been looking for almost half an hour. Sipping from his tea, he left it on the table just as he was about to open the drawer, tea fell on the portrait, making him panic. He cursed, grabbing a napkin and wiping the table and the chair.

"What mess did you make this time?" William's snide comment made James huff.

"Shut up, man!" He glared.

"You're making more mess," he highlighted, walking over to remove the books, putting them aside.

He ran to the kitchen and returned with a towel. He wiped the table, pushing his friend to stand aside.

"How many times should I clean-" William stopped mid-sentence.

"I owe you as always. What's wrong?" He stood next to his friend, following his gaze. His reaction mirrored that of his friend's.

"Gran would be surprised!" He exclaimed, looking at William.

"Surprised about what?"

Gran stood at the doorway, followed by David who's hair was wet.

Reluctantly, she held the portrait. "Sweet mercy," she mumbled.

Words have emerged where the tea had been spilled. 

"Follow me." She walked to the kitchen, ushering for the rest to walk behind her. Turning the tap water on, she brought the portrait close to the water. "Wait," she stopped mid-way.