writingcamp My Punishment

Week 4 Writer's block/ Chapter 2

Darkness. Pitch black, empty darkness. I can't see anything anywhere and it literally seems as if I'm in a black hole of nothingness. It is actually the strangest thing and it is difficult to explain. It almost seems as if I am floating through space. I am alone and surrounded by a vast emptiness and I feel completely disembodied.  

I feel tired in every sense of the word. I am physically and mentally exhausted. Why am I so tired? Why does it feel like I have been entirely drained of everything in me, body and soul? Why does it feel like I have spent my entire life in some sort of battle and I am ready to just let the emptiness swallow me? 

Beep... Beep... Beep...

That stupid beeping. Why do I feel like I hate that stupid noise so much? I feel that in some way each time it beeps it's as if it is the enemy winning against me? I hate that noise more than I have hated anything in my entire life. Or at least I think I do, I can't seem to remember anything before this darkness. 

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A giggling little girl version of myself came crashing through a pink flowered bedroom door. She was wearing a purple nightdress and her long hair was flowing behind her. Following closely behind were my mother and father hand in hand and each were wearing a smile of their own. The little girl jumped up onto her bed and climbed under the blankets. My mother sat at the beside and started giving her little tickles while she wiggled and squirmed under the blankets. 

Little squeals of joy came from under the blankets and my mother slowly lowered them just to under the little girls nose. She leaned down to kiss her forehead and tucked her tightly into her blankets. Then she slowly got up to go, but before she turned out the lights she turned and with a smirk on her face she tapped her finger to her chin and said, "Hm, am I forgetting something?"

The little girl laughed and said yes in a matter of fact voice while my father chuckled in the corner of the room. So my mother turned and walked back to the bed and plopped herself down.

"Oh yeah! The bedtime story. How could I forget?" My mother said. "So which one is it tonight?"

"I want to hear the one about you and daddy." The little girl said with excitement oozing from her voice.

"Again?" My mother asked with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but I forgot that one. I don't remember how it goes. Oh well we better just lay down and go to sleep." 

My mother shrugged and lay down beside the girl. She pretended to fall asleep and made loud and obvious snores. The little girl's giggled became louder as she shook my mother awake, knowing very well this story would be told.

"Come on mommy, please, please, please!" The little girl begged with an adorable pout and puppy dog eyes.

My mother peeked through her lashes and quickly shut them and in a muffled voice she said, "I can't right now I'm sleeping."

The little girl then began trying to open my mother's eyes once again and in an adorable voice squeaked out "wakey wakey mommy."

"Oh alright. Since you don't want me to get any sleep, I guess I will just tell the story." She sighed deeply and rolled up onto her side while propping her head onto her hand. 

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" The little girl screamed in delight and wiggled herself back into her blankets. Covering herself up to her chin. 

"I was in high school when I met your father. He was by far the cutest boy in school, which of course meant that he was also the most popular. He was a football star, a baseball pro, and he even played basketball too. So it was no wonder why every girl in school wanted to be with him and why every boy in school wanted to be him. What no one knew though, was that this beloved high school superstar secretly wanted a girl that no one knew existed. She was one of the school nerds. She was a geek, but he didn't care. He saw something in her that no one else did. Do you know who that lucky girl was? It was none other than your dear, sweet mom." She said, while giving the little girl a tap on the nose. 

"He was so sweet and so perfect. He would walk me to every class and carry my books for me too. We would spend lunch together every day just sitting in the grass and talking until the bell rang. No one understood. His friends teased him for liking me and all of the girls in school hated me, but we didn't care. We were just happy to be together. One day, after a few weeks of becoming really close, he asked me out on a date. Of course I agreed and he came to my house later that day to pick me up. He refused to tell me where we were going and just kept saying that it was a surprise. After a short drive he told me I had to close my eyes for the rest of the drive. When we finally pulled up to the surprise he helped me out of the car and walked with me for a little while and he helped guide me so I didn't fall. When he finally stopped and I opened my eyes I was completely shocked. He had taken me to a quiet park and set up a picnic right next to the lake. There were candles and rose petals and it was just absolutely stunning. It was by far the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. We spent hours and hours there that night and we came back there many, many times afterwards too. It was the same spot he asked me to be his girlfriend, and years later, it was the same spot he asked me to be his wife as well. I felt like the luckiest girl in the whole world, and I still do to this very day." She finished her story with bright eyes and a soft smile dancing on her lips.

"That's so pretty mama." The little girl smiled.

"Yes, it really is baby girl." My mother smiled down at me. "Now it's time to get some sleep."

"Ok. Love you mama." The little girl sat up for her good night kisses.

My mother leaned down and placed a light kiss on each cheek, one on her head, and one on the tip of her nose. Then she pulled the blankets back up and tucked in the little girl tightly. 

"Good night my love. Sweet dreams. Another day has passed and tomorrow is sure to bring new adventures." 

My mother lifted off the bed and reached for my father's hand as the walked toward the door. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on her head and she smiled up at him warmly. They turned out the light and looked at their beautiful little girl who had already begun to drift off into dreamlands. The love of the little family was one of fairy tales. It was something rare and magical. It was a beautiful and precious gift never to be taken for granted.