Picture Credits - Archie Binamira
Breathing seemed like a nuisance as my consciousness slipped into the darkness, I felt at peace; broken, but at peace. The darkness seemed to dissipate and then came a sudden burst of light, as I struggled to open my eyes in all this glare, flow of air into my lungs felt, relieving. “Is this really air?”, I asked myself. When I was finally able to open my eyes, what I saw, or rather more like what I could perceive - was beautiful. I was atop a mountain and there was greenery on and on until the end of the horizon. The air, unlike where I came from was light and refreshing; no dust, no soot, no smell of garbage or burning rubber. The sky was clear - the clearest sky that I’ve ever seen in my life, but wait, I was supposed to be dead! I couldn’t understand where I was or how I came to be, I was able to fly - soar through the skies, and from up there I saw how beautiful this place was. The jungle - still lush green, the tall and steadfast trees, the plains filled with lush green grass swaying in the wind. Stream filled with water-like liquid crystals, flowing down to the rivers, vast and pure, without a speck of human corruption, I could see no factories, no cities with their smoke and pollution rising, covering the sky. It was free, the sky was free! I could see no wars, no cages holding the animals back from their freedom. As I descended into a field of wildflowers, the sweet sensation held me down to the ground. The sun seemed drowsy, as it slowly went down the horizon. The sky was brilliant red, with the birds chirping as they went back to their nests, weary and ready for some rest - you could hear it in their chirps. As the sky progressed from the brighter to the darker shades of orange, there came the little twinkles in the sky. Without the degradation of pollution, the sky was as brilliant as it could be, the most beautiful thing ever, a wonder that could not be described in words. As I gazed upon this wonder, my pieces were brought back together. “I am ready”, I thought, as a warm sense of tranquillity filled my heart, the darkness returned for me, but this time - I was ready.