You Knew

You weren't supposed to touch it. They told you repeatedly. You knew. You couldn't control your own impulse. You just had to see what all the fuss was about and look where it got you. Where did it get you? You don't even know where "here" is. You do know it's cold, dark, damp. The silence is stifling. No birds. No wind. Nothing. Your feet are bare and your clothes are thin cotton. The chill makes you shiver uncontrollably.

You see a dim light in the distance. It may be a lantern. You shuffle towards it on what feels like rocky cobblestone. You keep stubbing your toes, so you try more of a marching gait. Once in a while, a rock is deeper or shifts, making you lose your balance and stumble forward, but you are making progress.

Or are you? Did the light just move? Is the lantern being carried away by someone? You can't see.

You have no choice. Not moving feels like it would be a death sentence, so on you go.

You have no idea how much time has passed, but it feels like hours. Finally, you are gaining on the light. It seems to be stationary. As you approach, you notice it appears to be on a pedestal. The circle around the base is smooth, but the light shows that what you thought were cobblestones

are

in

fact

skulls.

You leap onto the smooth circle and walk the perimeter. Below the lantern, the words, "You knew" are carved into the wood. There are skulls in every direction. You take the lantern off its base, hoping to get a better view.

The floor breaks out from under you.

You are falling

...falling

......falling

.........falling.

When you land, you gasp.

It's no longer cold.

You hear beeping.

You open your eyes, but the glare is too much, so you close them up tight to shut out whatever new hell this is.

A soothing voice announces, "He's awake."

You feel someone grasp your hand.

You hear crying. Another voice - this one sounds familiar. She sobs, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you are diabetic." More sobbing. "Why did you touch the cake? They said you knew. Why didn't you tell me? You've been in a diabetic coma for four days. If only you hadn't touched the cake." More sobbing.

You squeeze her fingers weakly to reassure her. The words continue in a loop in your mind.

You knew

...you knew

......you knew

.........you knew.