366: One Story Per Day (2024)

Day 46 - The Edge of Darkness

   I stood on the edge of unconsciousness in the silent stillness of the poorly lighted room, my thoughts whirling around in the deepest corners of my mind like a hurricane. I look at the ragged rope hanging ominously from the rafters above, feeling the weight of dread engulfing me and strangling me with its unrelenting grasp.

     An instinctive part of me shrinks at the sight, telling me to back away from the abyss that calls with its seductive melody of freedom. However, a different part of me—the one that has become weary from life's never-ending suffering—whispers words of consolation, promising relief from the agony that has plagued me for so long.

     Memories flash through my head like broken glass as I stand there, perilously close to eternity. Each one is a sobering reminder of the life I've led and the decisions I've made. I see the faces of loved ones who have passed away, and I can hear their voices calling out to me from the depths of my broken mind to hold on and resist the darkness that tries to swallow me whole.

      However, even their voices get muffled by the din of hopelessness that echoes through my spirit, obliterating all chance of deliverance. I am alone right now, imprisoned in a place I made for myself with no way out.

     I consider everything I could have done differently, every opportunity I could have grabbed with both hands if I had been more tough, stronger, and fearless. Regret, however, is a terrible mistress and a specter that follows me around in my head, whispering constantly of what could have been.

     And so, my hands shaking, I reach out and touch the tattered rope, my fingertips tracing the scratchy fibers that would soon become my salvation, a heavy heart and a soul burdened by the weight of my pain.

     I am overcome with a sense of serenity right now, a silent acceptance that sweeps over me like a tsunami, erasing the anguish and sadness that have followed me for so long. Because there is no longer any agony, anguish, or darkness waiting to engulf me in death.

     I feel a peculiar sense of release as I cross the edge of the precipice—a brief window of clarity among the chaos of my death. I feel a weird sensation of serenity rush over me as the rope tightens around my neck, cutting off my air supply and plunging me into the embrace of eternal darkness—a final release from the chains that have held me for so long.

     I am ultimately nothing more than a whisp in the wind, a passing shadow on the canvas of eternity. As my awareness fades into oblivion, I am overcome with an odd sensation of thankfulness because I have discovered the one real way out of the suffering of life—death.