The darkness appeared. Then came the light. The rocks cracked open, the land and water took their place, and from all of it, blood was formed.
I woke up to sunlight flashing straight into my eyes. The brightness stung, like my eyes hadn't been open until that very moment. That was the first thing I thought.
As my vision slowly adjusted, I realized something was wrong. I couldn't move. My whole body felt stuck. I could only stare at the sky and the sun above me. My eyes were the only things that listened to me—everything else refused.
I tried lifting my arms and legs, but nothing happened. I tried wiggling my fingers for minutes, but they stayed still. I kept struggling, fighting against whatever held me down, until finally my thumb twitched. Then my index finger. With each tiny movement, I felt something around me.
Soil. Fresh soil. Damp and cool.
That's when it clicked—I was buried in the ground.
Not knowing what else to do, I forced my right hand upward, digging through the soil little by little. After what felt like forever, my fingers broke through the surface. Hot sunlight touched my skin. A warm breeze brushed past me. For the first time, I felt hope.
I kept moving my hand, but something felt off. A strange static tingled across my skin, like tiny sparks dancing around my fingers. It faded after a few seconds, and I didn't know what it meant, but there was no time to think about it.
I hurriedly dug around my face, breaking away the dirt covering me. Cool air rushed into my nose, and I breathed deeply, almost desperately. I cleared the soil from my chest and left arm next. With enough space, I lifted myself up. Dirt slid off my body as I sat up, and for a moment I just breathed, letting my body relax after who knows how long.
But I wasn't fully free yet. I still had to uncover my legs. When I finally brushed the last bit of dirt off, I saw my legs—covered in mud, shaky, but mine.
I pushed myself up using both arms. It was harder than I expected, and I almost fell back down. But I kept trying, pulling my upper body backward for balance until, somehow, I was standing.
Joy hit me all at once. I inhaled the fresh air and let out a long exhale, almost like a sigh of relief. My eyes focused on the world around me: tall, bright trees with colorful leaves; patches of flowers, blue and yellow; sharp rocks; soft green grass glowing under the sunlight.
It was beautiful.
I looked down and saw the dirt I had crawled out of—and my feet. I moved them slightly, feeling the soil beneath me. But when I shifted my weight, my body leaned too far forward. I almost fell, but my right foot caught me just in time.
That's when I realized I could walk.
I took another step, moving my left foot forward. Then another. And another. Soon I wasn't thinking about it anymore—I was walking naturally. The grass brushed against my feet, and for some reason that small feeling pushed me to go faster. I walked, then walked faster, then started to run. The air rushed against my face, cool and wild.
Until my foot hit a rock.
And I fell.