Down a narrow hallway I walk,
No ending near,
The past a shadow,
Now only a grey smear.

My mind is racing,
With things I fear,
Things I’ve seen,
Things I hear.

Things that grab me,
Pull me away,
Stick me to the side,
Of this magnificent hallway.

People,
Thoughts,
Ideas,
Me…

Holding me back,
Pulling me down the wrong way,
I claw and scream at my captors.

I refuse to go,
I must keep going,
I must keep moving.

My mind a place full of shadows,
“You can’t do it,
Just turn back now,
And you will be happy.” it says.
“NO!”

Running,
Desperate to reach the end,
Hoping my legs won’t fail me.

Tripping,
Falling,
Grasping for the door,
That now lies ahead of me.

My fingertips brushing the handle,
Before falling again,
Those hands pull stronger,
Putting distance before me…
And my only escape.

My vision clears,
These last few moments,
Are they really to be my last?
Is my life to be ripped and burned until theirs nothing left?
Am I to dwindle into nothingness?
“NO!”
I make a desperate reach,
My last hope,
My weight pushing forward,
“I will not stop now,
I have come to far…”

My hand touches something smooth and solid,
I pull hard,
And step through.

The first thing I see is white,
Something wet and salty is running down my face,
“I made it…”