The 12 Sons of EXOdus

Chen's Fall

❤️EDITED❤️

8:01 pm Almaty, Kazakhstan

January 30, 2016

The heat was killing me. It was burning my face and skin, scorching through the fibers of my insides.

Where was I?

I opened my eyes to be blinded by a bright light that I think was the sun as it was next to a thin layer of clouds.

Why is the sun so terribly hot? This cannot be home, the sunlight here is not comfort or warmth but intense and unforgiving.

A part of me wanted darkness, this was too much light. I never knew I would be so against the light, up until now.

I wanted water too, my lips were cracked and my mouth felt utterly dry and grainy, my throat was not doing so well either.

Darkness...

Water....

How utterly familiar and yet so faintly remembered.

Where was I? What am I doing here?

I sat up to see that I was in a deserted place of some sort and that the place was very barren. No trees, flowers or anyone. Only tons and tons of sand, a few weeds here and there and wild objects. Where was I? I laid myself back down. There was no source of life anywhere around me so I would rather lie here and die. It was going to be slow and painful but at least it would be peaceful and less burdensome.

I hope so.

I was just so tired.

"Chen! Do not give up."

I sat back in alarm. Who was that? There is no one around here but me! Am I losing it? Have I gone crazy? Had the heat got to me?

I groaned in pain.

The heat was frying everything in me... blinking was even hard to do so.

"Chen, keep moving sweetheart."

A soothing voice... my strength...Mama?

Chen... is that my name?

Where am I mother? Please help me!

"Do not give up! Look for your brothers Chen. And defeat..."

Static... static! It hurts.

My head felt like it was being pierced into. It was so painful that I had to clench my teeth together just so I would not scream. What is this? Why is this happening? This pain I am suffering is too much... more than I can physically and mentally handle. I could not remember when the pain subsided all I can remember is relief when it did.

I stood up, renewed with my mother's voice. It was hard to do so, because of how my body has sustained dehydration but it was not impossible.

I walked... to where? I did not know, I just followed where the winds took me and prayed that I was going the right way.

The wind is my friend, I am sure.

I looked out, staring out far to see blurred lines of more sand, more desert and no water, no shelter and no shade.

How was I supposed to live through this?