Watching Me

It was midnight and my dream was shattered I fell into darkness A nightmare I was sinking, drowning, dying… But then I heard the laugh of a child Carefree and joyful was the music of her lips She smiled and suddenly I had the urge to fight I slowly climbed out of the shadows and emerged in a hall of pale silver “Where am I?” my heart was racing as I asked the question “Look around into the pictures,” a gentle voice replied Nobody was there I let my eyes adjust to the images scattered about the room I strode to a photograph in a golden frame I saw the child with a babe upon her knee They sat in an empty room with chords scattered about, the walls stark, the light blinding The picture gradually came to life I watched for a bit as the child slowly rocked the babe Tears laced the eyes of the young girl and the baby fell asleep All was silent as the picture faded I paced in confusion as I arrived at the next illustration I gazed speechless as I saw the child sobbing She knelt and I watched as she screamed at the sky, shaking her fist in raging fury Beyond her I saw grass and trees in desolate shades She pulled a small necklace from her pocket and placed it on the broken ground The only extravagant color I saw was that of a red rose which she placed on a polished stone The colors swirled and I knew it was time to move on The pictures I had seen thus far left a nauseating feeling within me I didn’t want to journey on, but I heard the comforting voice once more “Three more pictures… You’ll soon be finished” I knew then that it was my place to take another step I stumbled slightly and fell before the next portrait I saw the sky cluttered with a river of mist and the amber rays of the sun “What is this?” I inquired curiously “Take a look,” the voice answered I peered once more and took a sharp breath I saw a gate and a man with dark hair standing at the entrance The baby from the first image was carried by two figures Clothed in pastel garments with radiant beams of light circling their heads I knew where I was, but it was not where I wanted to be Not yet I stared at the beautiful spectrum My head was pounding and I abruptly drew away, breathless I closed my eyes then opened them to behold a teenage girl Quietly I realized it was the child from the previous pictures, now grown She faltered helplessly until she fell, crashing to the ground, chains holding her down “No!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the stillness The frame that held the picture fell to the marble floor of the hall “One more picture…” the voice retorted sternly, “You must see this!” A woman appeared before me Gathering me up in her arms, she placed me before a long golden frame I steadied myself as she stepped back I looked at the frame and found myself staring at my reflection “What do you mean by showing me this hall?” I asked, a tremor in my voice “By showing you these pictures, I am depicting lessons of life” The woman answered softly I looked at her incredulously She continued on in explanation, “Follow me back to the first image” She grabbed me by the hand and led me to the picture with the empty room “In your lifetime you will be blinded by tears… keep your innocence” I felt myself trying to comprehend what she meant but she rushed me to the next frame “You will experience sorrow, and despair… but you will cope” She gestured to the rose and the necklace, then gave a soft smile before leading me on “While you do well in life, others will die… yet prosper eternally” She smiled in awe as the baby in the picture was placed into the arms of the man The woman “You will struggle and you will fail many times… but you must keep trying” She chided me and I felt tears running down my face Slowly she turned me towards the glass mirror “Do you understand now?” I nodded my head slowly, and quickly realized what I had seen “That child in the pictures… who was she?” I whirled around and found that the woman was gone “I understand…” I slowly awoke and found the sun peeking through the shadows of the dawn “It was me”