Eternal Bed

• Zarra Ali, Grade 9, Sarah Redfern Public School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

Blood ran down my chest like an army of enraged soldiers. My body trembled too weak to escape the devious hail of grenades. I laid in the warmth of my blood, curled up like a foetus in its mother womb. Pain washed my body like waves of the sea. I let my eye lids fall and comforted myself as pain blanketed me. I heard yells in the distance "clean up the streets everybody must be removed!" My eyes opened-my vision was blurred as I watched men in the streets pick up all those who had passed. I felt cold rigid arms around my waist and I defeated gravity, floating In the arm of a stranger .My body ached and trembled in the arms of this stranger. I shut my eyes in frustration and a tear slowly descended my cheek forced by gravity.
I struggled to breathe as I fell from a height and lodged into the cold liquid that embraced me. I saw daylight disappear as I further descended in to darkness where the seaweed swayed sedately waiting for me to land in to my eternal bed. Schools watch me lay still, as i fight myself and attempt to make it back to the top where daylight would kiss every inch of my skin and smother me in its warmth. But nothing happened, I could never make it... I had to let go.
I laid still in my bed of seaweed where the creatures greeted me and the water beautified me. I watched as the day vanished and the night awoke. I let the light of the moon dress me and the stars embed their Jewels in to my skin.
I felt beautiful. I stared at this worldly beauty for as long as I pleased. For I knew when I close my eyes I may not wake.
I closed my eyes and even underwater I felt the warmth of my tear run down my cheek. I knew i was going... I waited patiently with the turtles that accompanied me till I fell asleep.
I felt a glacial frost cover my skin and the pain wash away. I was conscious at the time, I knew what was happening but there was no pain, no fear, no warmth, no serenity, no gratitude. I was senseless. I felt accomplished and complete but i knew one thing for sure...I did not belong.