The day I died

Alistair Inglis

I awake to that same illumination as ever. It happens every so often. Like a random alarm clock. The front wall of my castle (which seems to have shrunk considerably since I first moved in) glows pink. Its like a curtain is pulled back to reveal a sun glowing sun. It seems to rise and set in relation to the way I'm facing but however hard I try and keep the sun it always disappears no matter what direction I turn. I always like the sun. Even when the rude flashes wake me up. I especially like long sun when I wake up and explore via gymnastics... but this is getting harder and harder as what was once my palace begins to feel like a cell.

This was the routine I'd begun: get up with the sun. Once the sun had risen food was usually soon to follow. Then once I've filled my body and the sun has set I would be content once again and go back to sleep dreaming of bright foods. But of late I find it is become increasingly difficult to become content with food, sun and sleep. There is a feeling of gathering dread. I feel heavy. As though soon a terrible storm will end this happy little existence.

Today, it was not only I that rose with the sun. A great thunder-monster was echoing from above, its screeching surrounded me, I had no where to go. That same noise had haunted me once before but It was never this intense. It felt like a relentless yet fine drizzle that you cannot escape and chills your heart. The sun set.

The storm had not passed yet. Tremor turned to earthquake. As I cowered in position I could feel the floor tighten and the quiver of the walls with the scream of the gods. The chaos continued, becoming ever frequent it had cornered me. I had no choice but to wait for the sun. She will save me from this nightmare. With my head in my knees I waited out the blizzard.

For what felt like five sleeps did the gale howl and bite. Snow and the sleet and the rain and the hail were unforgiving. My castle was overrun. My safety I began to doubt. I started to feel trapped. I needed out. I was drowning. Suddenly asphyxiating. The noise becomes much more intense. I can hear it with ears I never knew I had. I was moving. No, being shoved, pulled. I reached out for something, anything that I could hold onto, that could take me back to when I was happy, so many sleeps ago. Then all of a sudden the sun I had grown to love and live for burned deep into my eyes. I shut them but still I could not escape the searing light.

But wait. The pain was going; I was becoming accustomed to this new, brighter sun. I felt warm, sleepy, safe, happy. I opened my eyes and looked up. I saw a giant princess looking down cradling me in her arms: warm, sleepy, safe, happy.

I closed my eyes, I was sleepy. The storm has passed, leaving only the rumble of my stomach to worry about.