Iridescent Fall

She lay on her back surrounded by nothing and a darkness that swallowed everything. She couldn’t remember a single moment of her life before then, and yet, she had a strange sense of knowing. The air was crisp while she watched her shallow breaths blow smoke into the air. Where was she? Her first thought was to dig through the cavern searching for an out. The ground beneath her was surprisingly damp and soft. Inching forward on her hands and knees, she moved along slowly taking in the faint sound of wind. There was a twinge of hope as the thought of fresh air seemed so near, and then she was falling. She didn’t notice the chill in the air had grown colder. Never landing, only slowing down, the space around had begun to glow.

Almost an aquamarine, the light all around her cast an eerie blue. By now she had become weightless, floating through whatever space she’d ended up in this time. The atmosphere felt heavy and reminded her of something she couldn’t quite grasp at the moment. Gaining control of her movements, she continued to flow with the current that clearly knew where it wanted to take her. Although her vision was pretty clear, the darkness was blinding, and the only comfort were the splashes of blue that surrounded her from all sides.

There was sudden stillness, but the roaring in her ears was almost deafening. That’s when she realized she was underwater. Water rushed in and filled her but she knew she would not drown. There was no panic left in her, not that it would have been. It was beautiful. Inner peace entered and she smiled.

Creatures were everywhere, paying no mind to their audience of one. Vivid and colorful, the hues of blue, neon orange and purple caught her eye. There were fins, wings, eyes, and iridescent scales. Some hovered above beautifully swaying in the water. Beneath, she could only make out the shadows of whatever lurked. There were no waves, so she figured it was a lake or large pond that had been frozen over. She had no idea how long she’d been down there or how long she would be. Time wasn’t a factor. She could only feel now.

Drawing a long inhale and holding it in, she released as she closed her eyes. It just so happened that when she decided to glance up, she could see to the surface above. It was funny how she thought she could see the figures moving. Curiously, she swam to get a closer look. There were spots in the hard sheet of ice that were more translucent than others. She focused on those, waiting to see if she’d detect movement again. To her right, she could see a small figure standing above. It was small and dark, but almost childlike in its movements the way it staggered with energy. She wondered if there were children ice skating above. The thought of the joy they were experiencing made her feel better for not being on the surface to enjoy it with them.

In a split second, her memories were triggered. The echo of her own little one’s voice filled her mind. There was a deep pain in her chest at the thought of him. She longed to get back and hear his laughter.

It had been enough. She breathed in one last time and exhaled slowly. “Slowly open your eyes and return to your resting position.” The smooth voice leading her meditation spoke. She looked around refreshed, gradually re grounding as she assessed her body’s sensations. Pleased with today’s session, because she’d never traveled to an underwater pond before. Glad to be back, she got up to go check on her napping toddler.