By CATALINA FERNANDEZ
Staff Writer
Desperation clung to me and consumed my soul. Its piercing claws vanquished my sense of hope. Lost in a complex maze; I was trapped in this desolate land accompanied solely by fear. The warmth of the light that once reassured me was now corrupted by darkness. What awful act had I committed to receive this torture? With all of my being, I craved an escape.
At that moment, a sign of the light arose. Unexpectedly, a gift from some unknown source emerged in the nothingness: a black door wavering far in the distance. Elated with newfound relief, I walked toward it. Finally, it looked as if there were an escape, an end to this seemingly endless anguish. Except, the more I progressed, the farther away it appeared to be. Releasing a cry of panic, I started running, faster and faster. The distance of the door taunted me as my sole means to escape faded into the emptiness. With jarring movements, I began to walk backward, hoping the door would resurface. This time, it did not travel farther away but rather, stayed at the same distance. An inescapable sense of confusion and devastation clenched my being. I should have woken up by now. Instead, I just stood there, staring. Staring into the empty space that suffocated me. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I realized the exasperating truth. I was never going to reach that door. It was gone. I was gone.