C-53

Abyss

My eyes are wide open. But everything is black. I try to feel around me to get a sense of where I am, whats happening. But somethings tied my arms to my side and I can't move. All I can feel is cold. Bone chilling cold everywhere. I anticipate the buzz to return to my head but it never does. I'm so calm its almost frightening. I open my mouth,but i'm afraid to hear my own voice. I leave my mouth open but don't speak. I inhale the sharp air, as I exhale my breath is snatched from me and replaced with water. Ice cold water. Why is everything so freakin' cold? The water starts to make its way up my toes towards my head, moving horizontally not vertically. Soon I'm completely underwater. I feel the icy liquid swimming through my nose and into my lungs. Forcing out the little oxygen that remained. Im drowning, but still, no buzz,veins and arteries still intact. I close my eyes and allow the water to carry me away.

•••••

"Kori baby" a soft and familiar voice speaks over me.
Someones hand grasp my shoulders and start to move me around. Alarmed, I jolt up and slap the hands that once held my shoulder
"Well excuse me child, I leave for just a couple a' years and now you act like you ain't got no type of home training"
I finally open my eyes and rub them with my dry hands. Wait, dry? Didn't I just drown?
"Im so confused" I mistakenly say out loud
"Well I'm just glad to see ya" the lady says
Before i can get a good look at her she pulls me in for a hug and leaves a inappropriately wet kiss on my cheek. I push her off me and she swats at my arm.
"I'm not gonna take it anymore ya hear, that's no way to treat family"
I look up and meet her eyes. Her face is long and her eyes are oddly squinted, like someone is pulling the insides down. They look just like my Aunt Neela's use to look. This women's hair is long and brown unlike my aunt who died with no hair at all. I look back at her eyes and they smile at me. She attempts to kiss my cheek again but I push her away.
"Look lady I don't know who you are" I say while wiping off my cheek.
"Oh you think you funny, its Neela" she says pointing to herself. I must've made a look because she starts to laugh at me.
"Wait" i say holding up my hands "Aunt Neela had cancer, she died years ago"
She's laughing so hard she's crying now.
"child don't you think I know that" she says still laughing. I tell myself to be nice, this poor old ladies probably just confused.
"Neela is dead" I say very very slow "so you. Cannot. Be Neela"
She stops laughing "child everyone here is dead" she turns around and gestures behind her. I shift my focus to the things behind the old lady. There's water falling from the sky but no one is wet. There are no clouds in the sky, just grey. There are rows and rows of houses all completely identical with a dark road splitting them. I focus back on Neela
"Thats the only way you get to C-100" she continued.
I cock my head to the side to display my confusion
"You've gotta die"