365 Day challenge

Day 1

December 15, 2017 - Outside the Window

What is out there? Beyond the window. In the darkness, watching waiting. Who knows? The darkness dies. It's always there creeping and waiting. Cold fresh snow. Undisturbed unlike your soul. A cloud of a breath escapes as you stand by the only light for protection. You can smell something coming. Frantically you look down the road and see a light. You want to go look at it but you're anchored to your spot because of the current light. Closing your eyes, you take a step. Then another and another. You can feel the light tugging at your heart trying to keep you from advancing toward the new light. Each step is harder and harder. You feel as if you're going crazy like you'll never make it. But soon enough the little light is in front of your nose. You reach up and poke it. It grows a little then goes to your heart. For a minute you didn't feel that cold winter darkness you were in. The other light tried tugging you back; however, you can't give up. You squint in the direction you were heading. Another light but bigger. Excited you jog to it. You find yourself at the face of a cliff. You look up, seeing all the little lights all the way up. Excited you start to climb. You only make it to one before you slip. You land on your butt at the bottom. The light you had made it to reappeared above you. Still determined you stand up and brush yourself off. You climb and climb, making it only a fourth of the way up the cliff before you slip again. This time you don't fall completely. Only partially. Breathing deeply with the dark coldness around you you continue to climb. You climb and climb. You look down to see how far you've made it since your last slip only to find yourself a few feet from where you were. Frustrated you lean your head again the rock you are desperately holding onto. One of the little lights pops out. You look at it desperately looking for help. It bobs a little bit before going into your heart. Filled with new strength you start to climb again. Slowly you inch toward each light. Eventually, you come to a ledge. Breathlessly you climb onto it for a break. Panting and exhausted. Glancing over the edge you see your old light. Dimmer now but it looked so warm compared to the dark cold cliff. You were so tempted to go back to it, yet the little lights you were chasing kept you moving up the cliff. You start doubting your choices. You panic thinking you're doing something wrong. Then a slightly bigger light comes, but instead of going to your heart like the others it turns into a little wooden charm of a star. You pick it up then put it in your pocket. You stand up and begin to climb again. Sometimes you slip nearly to the bottom again, but you keep trying. Just as you were debating if all this had been worth it suddenly there was warmth on your hand. Looking up you saw a brilliant light. You climbed up and over the edge to a beautiful landscape. All the seasons with warm sunlight. At that moment you realized it was all worth it. The struggling had truly been to lead you to where you were standing.

You closed your eyes and breathed in, but when you opened them you were at a window. Through it you could see where you had started, but now there was someone else there. They looked lost. You tried yelling telling them they're not alone, but they couldn't hear you. Turning desperately, you looked around your warm place. Then you saw something. A little note. Walking toward it you kneel down to get a closer look.

Will you help them?

"Yes" You breathe.

Suddenly you're back in the darkness, but this time you have light around you. You look toward the window you were just behind then to the person in the dim light. They look towards you, and you smile. A warm smile. They take a step so you reach out your arms to help. You guide them, helping them on their journey. Slowly they realize they're not alone. Which just made your light grow. Now you knew those little lights were others helping you along your way. You were never alone.