Shattered

Unbearable Pain

   Where am I? As far as my eyes can see, everything is black. I frantically search for signs of light, turning in a complete circle. There isn't any. My hands reach out and grope for anything that could provide the slightest clue to my location. Again, there's nothing. Am I falling? Surely not. I mean, I would be able to tell. Maybe I'm dreaming. If I am, this is the dullest dream I've ever experienced.

   Just as I'm contemplating what this place is, I see a dim light appear a few feet away. I become intrigued and begin to walk, no not walk, but glide towards it. The air beneath me seems to guide my direction, making the movement inhumanly fluent. As I approach the source of flickering light, the shape it's in begins to form a square and on it unfolds a real-life scene. There's a boy with bright eyes laughing at something foreign to my knowledge. He's with someone. A girl in a coral dress.

   I watch as he holds out his hand and mumbles something mute. She seems to accept whatever offer he gives and places her hand in his. She smiles as he leads her away to a vacant area, and they begin dancing to what must be music.

   Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain pierce through my chest. My hand flees to the hurting area in attempt to stop the source of aching. I look down at my chest, but there's nothing there. The pain subsides almost as quickly as it came.

   I glance back at the lit screen and watch as the young boy pulls the female close to him. His hand slides around her waist, grasping the silky material lightly. Her breath evidently hitches as she rests her head on his chest.

   The pain grows. It's unbearable now! I scream in agony as a tear falls shamelessly down my face. My gaze follows as it hits the black abyss in an unusually loud echo. My body is trembling and I can't hold my own weight. I fall to my knees, but they don't come in contact with any ground. My eyes can't break away from the light now. They're completely engaged at the scene playing before them.

   The boy now pulls back slightly from the light haired girl and grins shyly. In return, the girl blushes a dark shade of crimson.

   I can't breathe. I try to inhale but no oxygen is getting inside me. My lungs are suffocating as my throat closes in on itself. The throbbing agony is persistent in not succumbing to my pity. It courses through my veins and reaches every inch of my frame. I glance once more at the couple. The boy begins to lean towards the anxiously waiting girl. She stares innocently at him as his lips finally collide with hers.

   My hands shake fiercely as they weakly press against my chest, clawing endlessly in search of the source. I can feel every muscle in my fragile body waging a battle against whatever has taken control. My vision is blurred by rapidly flowing tears, and I can hardly see much of anything, but I peer up at the light again. The boy is looking down at the girl, longingly. Despite there being no sound, I can still hear the three words the boy mutters as they ring loudly through my ears.

   Without warning, the screen flickers off and it is once again pitch black. Finally, the aching sting in my chest fades out. All that remains is a numb, empty feeling. I can hear myself breathing loudly and out of rhythm as sweat beads trickle down my skin, leaving me drenched in my own perspiration.

   It's odd now. Usually a person can hear their pulse pounding through their entire body as if their heart is desperate in escaping their rib cage. I, however, sense no such feeling. My right hand cups my left wrist, waiting for a deep thumping to occur.

   My mouth becomes a desert as my eyes flood with unwanted tears.

   There is nothing there.