Short Story: The Grave

The day that I died, was the day I went to prison.

My life had just begun, or so I believed, it was shocking to me when I found out that I'd be serving time, being me, my obvious crime.

The cell had black grainy walls that tended to be compact when they were pressed together. The grains were below, the grains were above, I could not see the sun, I could not see the clouds, my cell was very dark.

The grainy walls were porous. From time to time food and water were passed down to me though the narrow holes.

I spent my first days looking up, I was scared and confused. Why wasn't I enough? why was I here? who keeps feeding me? where is my mother?

Day after day the walls of the cell grew tighter around me and I couldn't push anymore I became exhausted, I was tired of trying, i spent days crying and as I looked down, I lost all my will to be free.

Perhaps this was my destiny, maybe I should just wait. Days passed.

I know this because the porous spots in my cell would light up for a time, go dark and then id know its night. I could hear crickets outside, once I tried to whisper to someone lurking around the walls, I was very hot and I lunged to feel the wind on my skin, to feel the light of the sun deep in my pores, so I whispered and I waited but no one came.

One day, I sat in my cell and looked around, I never really noticed those grainy walls, they seemed to have faces with shut eyes, they were sleeping.

Now horrified, I ran to the middle of the cell and starred at the walls all around me in horror, all sleeping faces, then as if on cue they began to wake up, one right after the other, yawning and clicking their lips in reckless abandon.

They seemed calm, their eyes shone in unison,

''Look Lads One of Us!'', they were excited. I couldn't understand this because I knew where i had come from, I was not  one of them,

''My skin is fair as the morning sun and my eyes are bright like the crystal waters, I am nothing like you!'', I replied with borrowed confidence from a lender I could not fathom.

They all starred in amazement, sheer mockery.

''You? of the sun? then what in Earth! are you doing down here?!'', they stressed the word Eaarrth, as though it was a hidden joke among themselves and burst out laughing. Their voice was loud and eery, like metal scratching on metal surface. It was horrifying, I couldn't take it. I wanted to cover my ears but I couldn't , it was only then I noticed I had no hands.

''Look at him, he thinks he is fairer than us, little does he know that he is of the dust  and back to the dust he must return, silly boy'' they spoke as one, yet it seemed as though they thought differently, it was the most unusual conversation I had ever experienced,

''I am not one of you! I am only here for a time and i will be out just as I came!'. I tried a second time, But their cackling held me down like strong arms placed on feeble shoulders,

'' Look at yourself before you claim to be distinguished, before you argue with eyes that really see you for what you are...''

I listened to them, for the first time in the cell I looked down, down from the opening, down from the walls, down at myself, I was brown, like them. A pool of tears formed underneath my eyes and stung my throat,

''No! this isn't possible, I have always been fair like the morning sun'', my tears fell in uneven streaks leaving trails of despair on my now decaying cheeks, ''I am not one of you'', I said in limp defeat as I sat on the ground, and cried bitterly.

This time they said nothing, they simply watched me, countenance tranquil, a knowing smile on their faces I could feel it. But they never said a thing, they simply stayed still watching me sink in defeat, soon after, I grew weary, eyes sore and soul torn, I did what I hadn't done before,

I lay down to sleep.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

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