Snowy Grave
The End…
If this is what it feels like, then I’ll happily wish this moment for everyone. This is the way I dreamed I’d go. Few carefully commit to climbing 29,000 feet without considering the chance of themselves being one of the 300 that will never return home. I was not one of the few. I planned every step in my journal. Every entry had a date. And I thoughtfully considered my chances of survival.
The numbing pain in my fingertips, the stiffness of my limbs, the euphoric feeling of reaching the peak, and the gratification of dying while still on top has made my laugh uncontrollable. The shivering has stopped. My breathing has slowed. As I lose consciousness and my control, my body refuses to frown. I solidify on the ground, and can picture all the moments that brought me here. All the faces of despair, horror, and determination at Base Camp. The stories of possible avalanches and ghosts that fueled my sleep deprivation. The last crunch I heard from my team’s boots as they decided to proceed without me.
I started this journey fighting for my warmth to return. And, now I’m more emotional than I could ever imagine. As I watch my last breaths escape and quickly disappear in the air, I’m relieved to finally be able to feel again. If I could reach my journal and steadily hold my pen, I’d scribble for anyone looking for me:
I FOUND MY SMILE.
IT’S STILL IN THE SNOW.
The End.
About the Creator
Alexis Dean Jr.
Alexis “L.E.X” Dean Jr. is a clean Hip-Hop artist, poet, and educator from Milwaukee, WI. As a writer and music artist, he focuses on the importance of educating through his words and stories...
IG: @DreamsStartYoung
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Storydropping
“I wish you wouldn’t do that here. Can we please just get one moment together?” Alana regrettably hit the table with her fist. It was hard to silently yell in a crowded restaurant, but Thomas was gone. Her husband said he’d stay focused on her tonight, but that quickly felt like a lie.
By Alexis Dean Jr.6 months ago in Fiction
A bit of a tortured soul
Sure thing! Here's a story about a guy named Jake who's a bit of a tortured soul: So, there's this dude, Jake, who's always got this heavy vibe about him. You know, the kind of guy who's always carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He's got this haunted look in his eyes, like he's seen things most people can't even imagine. See, Jake had a rough childhood. His parents split when he was young, and he ended up bouncing around foster homes. He never really felt like he belonged anywhere, and that left a mark on him. As he grew up, Jake struggled to find his place in the world. He drifted from job to job, never really finding something that lit a fire in him. He had this restlessness, like he was searching for something, but he didn't even know what it was. On the outside, Jake seemed like a regular guy, cracking jokes and hanging out with friends. But deep down, he was wrestling with all these demons from his past. It was like he was carrying this invisible burden that no one else could see. But then, one day, Jake stumbled into this art class. He'd never been into that kind of thing before, but there was something about the colors and the shapes that drew him in. He started painting, pouring all his emotions onto the canvas. And you know what? It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Through his art, Jake found a way to express all the pain and turmoil he'd been holding inside. He started to find some peace, and people started to see a different side of him. Sure, he still had his moments of darkness, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes now. He realized that he didn't have to be defined by his past, that he could create something beautiful out of all the chaos inside him. So, Jake kept painting, and with each stroke of the brush, he chipped away at the walls he'd built around his heart. He was still a bit of a tortured soul, but now he had an outlet for all that pain. And in the end, that made all the difference for him. Hope that story hits the spot for you!
By Moh Amirullah2 days ago in Fiction
Comments (1)
I love the paradox of meeting a goal and being happy to die atop the peak. This brings interesting thoughts about letting go when dying, nice work.