relax
      only
      a
      few
      moments
      ago,
      to
      work
      again.
      She
      let
     
     
      her
      eyes
      follow
      the
      horrible
      imperfect
      yellow
      lines
      to
     
     
      their
      destination.
      She
      screamed
      in
      pure
      agony
      when
     
     
      she
      saw
      that
      the
      speckled
      grey
      yellow
      lines
      curved
      into
     
     
      an
      all
      encompassing
      blackness.
     
    

    
     
      With
      an
      inability
      to
      comprehend
      the
      horrid
      sight
     
     
      any
      longer,
      she
      forced
      herself
      to
      look
      behind
      her.
      For
      a
     
     
      moment,
      she
      breathed
      a
      sigh
      of
      relief
      when
      she
      saw
      a
     
     
      lone
      street
      lamp,
      shining
      a
      welcoming
      white
      light
      to
     
     
      the
      world.
      In
      mid-sigh
      she
      caught
      herself
      with
      a
      real-
     
     
      ization
      that
      the
      white
      light
      was
      a
      fluke,
      a
      way
      to
      tease
     
     
      and
      tantalize
      the
      masses
      into
      believing
      that
      happiness
     
     
      existed-
      that
      there
      was
      actually
      a
      reason
      for
      living.
      She
     
     
      saw
      that
      beyond
      that
      'white
      beacon'
      was
      nothing
      but
     
     
      another
      all-encompassing
      blackness.
      She
      thrust
      her
     
     
      arms
      into
      the
      air
      and
      allowed
      her
      truly
      pained
      voice
      to
     
     
      reach
      towards
      the
      so-called
      heavens.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Whyyyyyyyyy?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      it
      may
      have
      seemed
      as
      if
      there
      was
      a
     
     
      question
      she
      was
      asking,
      she
      screamed
      to
      no
      one
      in
     
     
      particular,
      not
      at
      all
      expecting
      and
      actually
      receiving
     
     
      no
      answer.
      She
      had
      propelled
      her
      head
      upwards
      hoping
     
     
      that
      she
      might
      see
      something
      worth
      living
      for
      in
      the
     
     
      sky,
      but
      the
      clouds
      had
      engulfed
      the
      sky.
      The
      blackness
     
     
      had
      hidden
      the
      moon
      (...white...),
      and
      her
      friends,
      the
     
     
      stars
      (...white
      as
      well...).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Only
      blackness.
     
     
      Everywhere
      she
      turned...blackness.
     
     
      Sanity
      gone,
      definitely
      very
      gone.
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Every
      part
      of
      her
      wanted
      to
      hide,
      to
      run
      away
     
     
      from
      this
      treacherous
      place,
      but
      where
      could
      she
      run?
     
     
      She
      would
      only
      run
      into
      the
      blackness
      and
      that
      thought
     
     
      did
      not
      offer
      very
      much
      comfort
      at
      all.
      She
      fought
      off
     
     
      the
      urge
      to
      run
      and
      for
      a
      moment,
      she
      was
      content,
     
     
      happy
      almost
      with
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      blackness
      had
      not
     
     
      won
      yet.
      Now,
      though,
      she
      began
      to
      realize
      that
      the
     
     
      discoveries
      she
      had
      made
      about
      this
      world
      tonight
      had
     
     
      taken
      a
      physical
      toll
      on
      her
      body.
     
    

    
     
      She
      was
      growing
      tired,
      and
      it
      succumbed
      to
      her
     
     
      body's
      cries,
      the
      blackness
      would
      win
      anyway.
     
    

    
     
      Her
      fight
      would
      have
      meant
      nothing
      at
      all...
     
    

    
     
      That
      is
      when
      it
      all
      began
      to
      make
      sense
      to
      her
     
     
      twisted
      little
      mind.
      It
      did
      not
      matter,
      nothing
      mattered.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      lack
      of
      white,
      the
      endless
      grey,
      the
      overwhelming
     
     
      amount
      of
      black.
      It
      all
      meant
      nothing.
      And
      with
      that,
     
     
      she
      closed
      her
      eyes,
      but
      not
      entirely
      allowing
      the
     
     
      blackness
      to
      win.
     
    

    
     
      She
      then
      forced
      her
      eyes
      open,
      unwilling
      to
     
     
      believe
      that
      everything
      meant
      nothing.
      She
      turned
      her
     
     
      head
      forward,
      allowing
      her
      face
      to
      feel
      the
      warmth
     
     
      before
      her
      eyes
      could
      see
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Out
      of
      the
      darkness,
      she
      saw
      two
      beams
      of
      white
     
     
      light,
      the
      most
      beautiful
      white
      she
      had
      ever
      seen
      in
      her
     
     
      entire
      life.
      With
      a
      smile
      she
      thought
      for
      a
      brief
      second
     
     
      that
      she
      had
      actually
      laughed;
      was
      in
      fact
      still
      laugh-
     
     
      ing.
      She
      was
      laughing
      on
      account
      of
      the
      two
      beams
     
     
      coming
      directly
      towards
      her
      out
      of
      the
      blackness
      that
     
     
      were
      basking
      her
      in
      a
      glow.
      The
      feeling
      forced
      her
     
     
      entire
      body
      to
      turn
      towards
      the
      oncoming
      lights,
      allow-
     
     
      ing
      her
      body,
      like
      her
      face,
      to
      relish
      in
      the
      warmth.
     
    

    
     
      Her
      arms,
      greedy
      for
      the
      new
      sentiment,
      reached
     
     
      out
      in
      front
      of
      her
      body
      so
      to
      feel
      the
      warmth
      before
     
     
      the
      rest
      of
      her
      did.
      ;
     
    

    
     
      The
      lights
      were
      close
      now,
      so
      close
      that
      the
      white
     
     
      was
      actually
      beginning
      to
      blind
      her.
      She
      fought
      off
      the
     
     
      urge
      to
      close
      her
      eyes.
      "It
      is
      so
      very
      beautiful,"
      was
      her
     
     
      final
      thought
      before
      the
      blackness
      completely
      faded
     
     
      away,
      engulfing
      her
      in
      its
      beauty.
      She
      was
      finally
     
    
   
   
    
     
      happy.
      Truly
      happy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      **K
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      man
      driving
      the
      semi
      leaped
      out
      of
      his
      truck,
     
     
      unaware
      of
      what
      he
      had
      just
      done.
      He
      looked
      at
      the
     
     
      crumpled
      body,
      the
      puddle
      of
      blood
      forming
      around
     
     
      the
      corpse.
      The
      driver
      was
      hesitant
      to
      examine
      the
     
     
      mess,
      but
      thought
      the
      dead
      woman
      before
      him
      was
     
     
      smiling.
      His
      head
      swung
      frantically,
      searching
      for
     
     
      some
      sort
      of
      help,
      but
      he
      found
      none.
      All
      he
      saw
      was
     
     
      blackness.
      Distressed,
      he
      looked
      for
      some
      sign
      of
      life
     
     
      as
      his
      eyes
      willingly
      focused
      on
      the
      lone
      street
      lamp;
     
     
      the
      lamp
      that
      offered
      a
      meager
      sign
      of
      hope.
      He
      began
     
     
      to
      race
      towards
      that
      light,
      hoping
      that
      there
      was
      more
     
     
      behind
      it
      besides
      the
      overwhelming
      blackness
      that
      sur-
     
     
      rounded
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      wind
      blew
      one
      final
      time.
     
     
      Blackness
      here,
      blackness
      gone?
     
     
      No,
      that
      wasn't
      quite
      right.
     
    

    
     
      Life
      here,
      life
      gone.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [25]