Dystopian Hope

How can I help?

It's void of color outside. There's just wind, rain, darkness, cold, thunder, and occasional lightning. There's an abandoned shopping mall before me. It's old; hasn't been used in quite a while. I'm rowing a boat through the parking lot in rapidly rising waters.

I'm inside a half-flooded multi-tiered department store. It's dark and I'm not sure how I'm seeing my way around, but I am. There are tables and racks of wet and moldy clothing and other goods all around me. There are stairs and escalators everywhere. The water has stopped rising but the ceiling is leaking. I am certain that it's going to cave in and completely flood the building.

I look around and my mind flashes with an image of things just before they got this way; panicked shoppers, flickering lights, and the same sensation that the ceiling leaks will lead to a flood. I blink my eyes and things are abandoned and dark again. I'm hopping around on steps, trying to make my way to the top level but somehow it just doesn't happen. I'm not sure what I'm trying to do. I keep thinking that there was some sort of mix up; these people that I keep seeing are already dead. I can't save them anymore. But even if they weren't already dead, I had no idea what I was looking for or how I could save the building from completely flooding. This wasn't my job...

More rain came. Inside the building. I'm not sure how but it did. The ceiling was disappearing. I kept hopping from thing to thing and climbing up stairs. I looked along what was left of the ceiling as I went trying to find whatever it was I was looking for but I never did. Finally, there was no more ceiling at all. The water just poured in. I saw all the people die; they drowned. I tried to scream but no noise came out because I was underwater.

I woke up completely wet and frantically trying to catch my breath. I was in the very center of a tall, roundish academic building. I was laying on the floor and staring straight up at the balconies above me. Hundreds of men in business suits walked by carrying briefcases. The only students around were graduate students; nice-looking professional ones. Distinguished and privileged men and women. They all wore blacks and browns, all clean cut, tidy hair, etc. Everything around me was made of important-looking gray marble.

I coughed and sputtered. I may have screamed for help. The business men and the graduate students all just went about their business without so much as a glance in my direction. They stepped over me or went around me; not a one offered me a hand in getting up.

I stood up and frantically ran around the room looking for.......what was I looking for? Why don't I know? Why am I here?!

Up and down steps, through offices, between stacks of books......

"Excuse me, sir. Do you know why I'm here? What am I looking for?"

No answer. Never an answer. Ever. It was like I simply didn't exist.

After a while, I just gave up. I sat at one of the balconies with my chin against the railing just looking down at all of the monotonous people walking by. I sat there, day and night. Just watching and waiting. I was overwhelmed with sadness because I still didn't know what my purpose was. Why was I there?

One day, as I was watching all of the people, I saw something different. I saw this beautiful, warm green glow emitting from a body down below. Oh, God. My heart.......my insides........

I ran down the steps into the bottom floor after him. I shouted his name over and over. I could hear my own voice echo but no one else so much as looked at me. When he reached the center of the room, he stopped and turned around.

My heart.......it was really him. He wasn't like the others. He wasn't perfect, he wasn't formal. He wore jeans and a button up shirt, he looked sad and tired yet he shined with color and life. He had that green light around him and the closer I got, the warmer it felt.

I knew everything. I was there for him; I was supposed to save him. I was supposed to be his friend, love him, listen to him, hold him, help him be human.

But he just stood there. I ran to him, so happy to see him, still shouting his name. His eyes were like glass. He..........he was looking straight through me.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! Please! Please wake up! You have to! I'm here for you! You're why I'm here! Please! I promise I'll be good to you!"

My insides were filled with pure love and it was hurting so much. I tried and tried to communicate with him but the more I did, the smaller I got.

"Please! Just talk to me! Please! I'm right here! Why don't you answer? What's wrong with you?! Please just let me help....whatever it is, I'll still love you. I promise!"

I fell to my knees and cried before him.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. And apparently God agreed.

God whispered an idea of what was going to happen next into my ear. He didn't tell me in words or pictures, it was just.....a strange divine message delivered straight to my brain. Basically, I had just a few seconds before everything started all over again.

"Sleep."

Snowy white powder suddenly dropped from the sky and covered everything. The business men and graduate students all dropped to the floor immediately. As he went down, I lunged at my muse and shouted 'I love you'. I don't think he ever saw or heard me, but I had been successful in wrapping my arms around his legs as we both went down.

I was so small; just a child. As my eyes closed, I smiled and snuggled closer to his leg. I stuck one of my fingers through the hole in his jeans by his knee and touched his skin. Just as my body went limp, the warm green around his body over took me and I fell asleep feeling warm and finally happy.


(Sorry for the shift in voice but I'm too lazy to go back and change it.)