(7) Drawing a Breath

This is a story about returning to yourself after an internal battle - about accepting your fears and darkness.

I return to myself, as if after an intergalactic journey. I don’t run. I don’t close my eyes. I allow myself to feel everything - the space between me and the world fills with pulsing energy, and shivers ripple through my body. The paralyzing gaze of others feels like a thing of the past.

I no longer fight myself. I have moved through every state, reached out to the darkness, and waved at fear. I let them come and go, and now I stand here, lighter, as if I finally fit within myself. The words are waiting, ready to be spoken - I'm drawing a breath.