Reclaiming What's Mine

It took an inordinate time to reach my final destination; the exhaustive searches and recruiting friends I knew helped out of pity for me. What harm would it do to indulge my whims? I heard them whisper. Regardless, I was sure I would find it. I used the last of my savings to buy a plane ticket with no one the wiser. I knew I should have told someone, but they’ll see; I’ll prove them wrong.

As I approached the crystalline surface nestled in this small oasis, my guide mysteriously evaporated into thin air after he made a sweeping gesture to enter the water. Although I longed for this with every fiber of my being, I hesitated. Do I want this? Am I ready for the consequences? Yes. I stripped down to my underwear and dived headfirst, distorting the mirror-like surface. I floated, suspended in the void. For the moment, nothing could touch me.

I emerged sometime later. I didn’t feel any different. But I knew everything had changed. I saw my shadow standing, cloaked in wispy blackness though the sun blazed overhead; he had followed me every step of my journey, his deathly grip forever gone.