Memory Lane

Chapter Two: Into The Light

Walking closer to the light, I could feel the warmth coming from inside. I began feeling complete, more familiar with myself with each step toward the light. Something about the light felt familiar and gave me almost a happy feeling. I wanted to walk in the light, but the fear of uncertainty overwhelmed me. What is in the light? Is it safe? What if I can't get back once I enter?

Taking a leap of faith, I began to lift my left foot and slowly move it closer to the light; something was pulling me closer to it. The next thing I know, I'm walking into a bedroom from mid-air, stepping out onto the floor. The warmth enclosed around my body, making the muscles in my body feel relaxed and calm. My mind felt at ease, and all the fear in me disappeared, and I felt safe once again.

Yellow sunlight covered the room, and I could smell something sweet as candy drifting through the air. There was a crib on the right side of the room against a wall, and curiosity took over me as my feet guided me to it. There were flowers hand-painted on the yellow-tinted white walls and stuffed animals all over the floor around the crib. It didn't look as if they were thrown around but explicitly placed in order.

There was a precious, sleeping baby laying calmly in it. The baby looked so familiar, but I wasn't sure from where. I wanted to pick the baby up and hold her, but I was afraid to wake her; she was sleeping so peacefully I thought I saw a smile appear across her face.

While gazing at the beautiful baby girl, I heard footsteps approach the door from the hall. What if they can see me? Will they call the police? I'm going to be in so much trouble. The doorknob turned, and a man and woman entered. I felt my heart sink to my feet.

"Mom? Dad?" My parents just walked into the room. There was no mistaking them for anyone else. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. There has to be some mistake, but I didn't care right this second. My heart began pounding through my chest, I could hear the ringing in my ears, and all I wanted to do was run into their arms and feel their embrace around me once again.

They looked right through me toward the crib where the baby was lying. Who was the baby? Why were they so preoccupied with her? Then it hit me. The baby is me. My parents were staring through me, at me. My heart calmed down, and I felt a tear trying to escape from my eye. I cleared my eyes up as my parents stepped closer to me and walked right through me to the crib.

Forcing my tears away, knowing they couldn't see or touch me, I saw a dark shadow on the floor, but there was no one standing near it. I was confused at first, but I remembered the dark figure from the darkness earlier. It must not have a solid form here, which relieved my nerves slightly.

I turned my head to look at my parents so happy holding me in their arms and kissing my head, and I almost felt jealous of baby me.

"Baby girl, we love you so much." My mom pulled baby me closer to her chest with a giant smile on her face, and I could feel pain in my chest as my body wanted to burst into tears. I can't believe I can't remember this happening to me. I wish I could still have these moments.

Handing baby me to my dad, my mom made my bed neat again while my dad pulled me closer. "Daddy will always be here for you, baby girl; you mean the whole world and more to mommy and daddy." I felt my heart melt inside me, knowing he was telling the truth but couldn't fulfill that promise. I just wanted to run and hug him again and hear him tell me that everything would be okay and everything that's happened in my life has just been a bad dream. But I knew that wasn't realistic.

Everything about my life felt so incomplete without my parents. I never wanted to leave this moment, and I knew it was just too perfect. Then, suddenly I felt a cold breeze, and my head turned back to the shadow figure on the floor. The figure's hand was pointing toward the door my parents came in from, and the fear returned when I turned back around and baby me and my parents were gone.

Stepping toward the door, I felt uncertainty in my mind. I realized the figure disappeared once I got to the door, and I was alone again. I reached for the doorknob and opened the door. All I saw on the other side of the door was darkness again like before. Stepping out the door, I felt as if I was falling and then fell on the cold ground in the dark, almost feeling pain, but it left as quickly as it entered my body. Back on my knees in the darkness, I felt the figure near me again, but I wasn't scared this time. It was the only thing that felt real in the dark. My mind was racing over everything that just happened that I didn't realize how closely the figure had gotten to me; it was directly behind me and had a good grip of my arm once again like before. My heart sank. I could feel the beating in my ears, and the chill from the coldness gave me goosebumps throughout my body. My head got very dizzy, and I knew what would happen next. Then total blackness in my head overcame me.