8

I remember a small and cozy place surrounded by trees...
The sounds of birds and insects outside filled the atmosphere with warmth...
A feeling of being safe embraced my whole body...

Laughs and smiles everywhere i looked.

Going outside...
Searching the area...
Smelling the flowers...
Small things that can still make one feel complete...

Others were around...
Running together...P
Playing...

Wanting to join them...
Maybe if approaching them, they would accept and include me...

Not expecting much though...
Still an outsider to them...

Never having seen each other before, so acceptance might be a bit challenging in this situation...

But still, I started walking toward them...
Slowly at first, so as not to scare them away...
Showing that I am not a threat, just here to play...

They stopped what they were doing and looked my way...
Feeling their gazes fixed on me, scanning from top to bottom...

The mood changed suddenly...

Smiles and laughter disappeared instantly...
I stopped in my tracks, avoiding sudden movements...

But they kept staring...

And in that moment, one of them started moving slowly toward me...

The others remained in their positions until the time the one - probably the leader - was so close that I could hear and smell their breath...
Lifting a hand up in the air, aiming straight at me...

I froze in place...
Couldn't move a muscle...
Held my breath...
Listened to the agitated sound of my heartbeat in my ears...

But the hand remained extended in front of me for a while...
Without any other sudden movement...
Without showing any threatening resolve...

I didn’t know what that meant...
I couldn’t understand...

All I could figure was, that if that someone wanted to threaten me or hit me, they would have done it already...

And the hand moved once again...
Very slowly this time, toward my head...
And then, a gentle touch on my head...

That probably meant that I had been accepted in the circle...
I responded with a gentle smile and ran toward the others, joining them...

Vividly remembering that day...
Having so much fun...
More than ever before in my life until now...

Running, laughing, and crying a lot...
So that is what happiness must feel like...

Chasing each other...
Playing hide and seek...
Climbing trees...

Oh, why hadn’t I thought this through...
Never having climbed before...
Not knowing how to climb back down...

The others gathered around the tree...
Seeing worried expressions on their faces...
Being so scared that my limbs started shaking...
Afraid that I couldn’t hold on anymore.

And it happened...

Losing the ground below my feet...
A strong wind blowing from below me...
An earsplitting sound, mixed with screams and cries...

Like a melody echoing through the wind...
Like a lullaby putting me to sleep...
Like a farewell ode to fallen warriors...

And darkness engulfed me...
Like a sweet cold embrace...
All the sounds and noises ceased to exist...

Along with me...