Chains

Darkness surrounded me. It penetrated my soul and blinded my eyes. I could feel the
heavy, cold metal shackles on my wrists and ankles. I pulled my arm forward and felt the chain
tug back. I tried to walk forward, but the chains kept me in place. I could do nothing to move
from where I stood.
As I stood in the dark, a soft light emanated from nowhere. It was far off in the distance.
The gentle glow felt like it could warm the world. I pulled again and the hard metal dug into my
flesh. It cut into my skin.
Each shackle was different, yet the same. Each one was made with an unbreakable metal,
so hard and heavy that it made movement cumbersome. Each was linked to a chain made of the
same material.
I crouched down, lost in my despair. The blood dripped from my wrists and ankles. The
longer I stayed still, the more my flesh healed and grew over the shackles. My restraints would
soon be a part of me.
I could no longer stay in that position and allowed myself to sit upon the cold, lifeless
floor. The light drew my attention. I sat staring at the light. A harsh sound met my ear - a sort of
sharp clanging from a shackle hitting the hard, impenetrable floor. As the sound echoed through
the air, it changed to the ringing of a bell. The ringing encouraged me to stand up. The shackle
had fallen from my right leg. It glistened in the darkness, but looked dull in the light.
The light had some how grown. I unknowingly started to walk forward. I could only walk
a few steps before my chains stopped me. I could not continue. I could still feel three chains
linking me to an unseen anchor.
I yanked on the chains, but they would not budge. I looked back at the darkness. I began
to cry. My emotions ran wildly through my body. Anger, sadness, fear- they all rushed through
my veins. I had been freed from one chain, only to realize that the light was still far from me and
that the chains still held me.
As I stared back into the vast emptiness, I could feel something growing up my leg. The
vine crept up my leg and wound itself around my calf. The more I struggled, the tighter its grip
became. It was restricting my blood-flow and would soon strangle the life out of my foot.
I looked at the light with tears streaming down my face. A strange warmth seemed to
emanate from the far off light. It caressed my face. The vine, on the other hand, had withered
from the heat and become ash. A red scar lingered.
The shackle around my left ankle loosened and dropped off. The black chain was soiled
with blood. This time, I would not be stopped. I would run towards the light.
The slap of my bare feet against the cold, smooth rock beneath me echoed in my ears as I
ran. Another shackle fell to the ground. Then another. I was free.
I could feel a breeze flowing through my hair as I ran. I began to breath heavily, but
pressed on. The light before me glowed brighter than before. I could feel the warmth of fire
surround me. I was almost there. The light reflected off of my skin. I reached out my arm and
could see the scar and dried blood on my wrist. I could still remember the way it felt. I could
almost touch the light, it was so close, but something clasped around my neck. It chocked me as
the chain became taut. It gagged me and I coughed as I tried desperately to catch my breath.

The shackle around my neck had gone unnoticed. It was lighter than the others and the
chain was far longer than any could imagine. I tugged at the chain and clawed at the metal collar.
I was frantic.
I had come so close. I had to remove the last restraint. Tears began to wet my cheeks and
drop to the ground. My fingers became bloody and my legs gave way. I landed on my knees and
felt an intense pain rush through me. I screamed out and hit my fists against the ground. The cold
seeped through my flesh as I lay upon the wet floor. I looked back into the darkness from whence
I had come.
The light had illuminated the world and I could see just how far I had come. I saw
bloodstains and rusted shackles. The chains had crossed and rusted in the blood. I saw the place
where my necks chain was fasted, but a blackness began to eat away the light. The past was
becoming hidden in the encroaching darkness. Fear was eating away at my soul.
I turned my head to look at the shimmering light. It was so bright that I had to look away.
I wanted to feel the warmth comforting me as it once had. I wanted to feel the freedom I had
once known. I stood up and looked into the white light. I reached out my hand and waited.
I could either look forward at the light or look back into the darkness.
The light grew brighter and the dark grew darker. It was my choice.
I would wait. No, I will wait on the light to free me of this last restraint.