Chapter 5

There’s so many hands. They’re grabbing me, crushing me, wrapped around me
with an iron grip. They’re tearing off my skin. They’re covering my eyes and my ears.
It’s so dark. I hear someone scream. It’s a bloodcurdling scream. A scream that penetrates
through me and knocks the wind out of me. My ears are ringing. The hands clawing at
my body continue to pull me backwards, towards something. I’m scared. Another scream,
this one even louder than the last. Wait, I know that voice… is that… me? Light begins to
prickle my eyes, tiny dots of gold speckling my vision. The hands that once enclosed my
sight slowly separate from me, leaving me feeling naked and bare. It’s cloudy, it’s dark, I
still can’t see. The screaming continues to echo across the vast valley set before me. My
screaming.
“Damien, don’t go.” A soft voice whispers to me from far off in the distance. The
voice is muffled, almost inaudible, and yet it awakens a flurry of emotions from deep
within me. “Damien, don’t leave me.” The voice repeats, this time much closer. It’s like
the voice is coming from somewhere deep within me, it’s reverberating through my skull.
“Damien, please.” The voice pleads, becoming clearer and clearer by the second. The
voice that was once a muffled whisper is slowly turning into a booming echo. It’s like
thunder. “Damien, please come back.” The voice cries, pounding against my head. Wait, I
recognize that voice. My heart starts to pound, thumping against my chest and a mixture
of agony and relief washes through me. Where is she? I want to go to her. I want to tell
her to stop crying and that I’m not leaving her and that everything will be okay and that I
can hear her and I want to open my eyes and see her and save her. I need to go to her.
Snap. My eyes open. I urgently look around, searching for the person I hope to
see. I can still hear her crying. She’s sobbing. And then, I see her. She’s hunched over
herself and grabbing onto a wooden chair beside her. She's shaking. The hair laying flat
upon her head is a dark grey, much darker than the last time I saw her. Her small, frail
hands are clutching onto her chest as she breathes. I smile, I missed you. Reaching out my
hand in her direction, I try to take a step towards her sobbing figure. “Damien.” She cries
once more, staring into her hands. Look up at me, I’m right here. I try to take another
step. My feet don’t move. Gritting my teeth together, I try to force my legs to move
forward. My body feels as heavy as stone, I’m a statue. My eyes lock onto her in a silent
plea. Look up at me, I’m right here.
Her head moves upwards, and her tear stained face meets mine. “Damien.” She
whispers once more, this time with awe and hope instead of pain and grief. Her knees
scrape against the ground as she tries to stand up, distress taking over her face. With one
shaky leg, she takes a step towards me. Then another. Then another. My smile widens.
She reaches a hand towards my face. I’m home.
Snap. A silent scream leaves her mouth as her arm is twisted behind her in an
unnatural way. No, no no no no no. Hands form around her and latch onto her skin,
dragging her backwards. No no no no no. It looks so painful. I watch in fear as she claws
and bites at the hands that are holding her back. They’re hurting her. A wave crashes into
me from behind, causing me to lurch forward. Fury wells up inside of me, building from
my core, threatening to explode and make me lose all sanity. I’m not leaving you again.
Through the thick of my rage, a hand snaps forward and reaches for me. It’s her
hand. I throw my arm outwards hoping to latch onto her. Desperation rises inside of me
and my body thrashes in the air, trying to remove the countless hands ripping us apart.
Not again. NOT AGAIN. My vision blurs as tears well up in my eyes. Not again. Our
hands are so close to touching, our fingertips bridging the gap of space between us. The
wrinkles etched into her worn skin grow deeper as she strains against her captor. I scream
again. We’re both crying, our bodies shaking with our sobs while fingers dig into our
bones. Snap. Pain sears up my arm and engulfs it in burning hot flames. They broke my
arm. As I open my mouth to let out another scream an invisible hand snakes its way
down my throat, closing off my vocal chords. It’s trying to kill me. It’s choking me,
taking away any air that was left in my lungs and squeezing it out. The need for oxygen
blocks out the pain in my arm and my mind spins. Cough. Cough. Cough. My hand
begins to fall limp. The hand that was once stretched out and reaching for the only person
I could call family suddenly drops to my side, weak and broken. My heart crumbles, my
body’s begging for air. My vision darkens as spots of black cloud my sight.

The last thing I see before I pass out is her, crying and screaming at me, stringing
together words that suffocation won’t allow me to hear.

Though, through the haze of my pain and desperation, two words form and cling
onto me from her lips.

My child.