The Downside of Inside

The emotional cocktail resting on my chest is suffocating uncomfortable thoughts of death. I no longer have the peace of mind to stop its spread. Pins and needles. Pain. A shark nibbling, tearing a limb from Its once secure socket, would have felt better, cleaner. Forced to remain still as if I was buried alive, I held my breath. Fight or flight are my only choices, with my life hung in the balance.

Jennifer has been in this place longer. You can see it to look at her. Flight is her response to the monsters that roam the streets here—moving to and from hiding spots. I can’t imagine my wife and daughter in this place. The pain of losing them here, the constant drive to search for them, is heartburn in my soul.

No matter what my choices are, they led to more unspeakable situations. More terror winded up my spine, freezing me in place. Will I find my wife and daughter? Are they already lost to me? I don’t even understand how I came to be in this nightmare. When Jennifer and I find the light, will entering it free us from this place?