Chapter 30

I opened my eyes, and for the first time, it felt like they were able to adjust to the dark.

There was a faint light up ahead. I could not tell how far away it was, but I walked towards it. It seemed impossibly far, but within a few minutes I reached a door with light coming from underneath. I had nothing to lose by opening it, so I fumbled for the door handle, and creaked it open.

Chapter 31

I had to squint my eyes, it was so bright. I had been in darkness for so long. Maybe a week, or a month. I had no idea. I thought it would take an age to adjust to the light.

I realised I was in Josh’s house. Everything looked the same as it was when I slept here. There were crumbs on the kitchen table, and plates in the sink. No one else was here though.

I looked out the window. Everything seemed normal enough. The sky was a beautiful deep blue, the sun was radiant, the luscious green of the trees fluttered gently in the breeze. Gratitude filled my body.

Chapter 32

I opened the front door and took a step outside. The fresh air rushed through my lungs and the sun hugged my shoulders. The heat shook me awake. Everything appeared to be where it should be, but the colours were more vivid than I remembered. I could smell fresh bread, ripe tomatoes, and hot coffee. I could hear the sounds of footsteps and conversations several blocks away as they head in the direction of the town centre. A light rustle of the leaves was as loud as a stormy gust. I had been in the void for so long that everything here was so intense. It was almost unbearable.

It all felt like a dream. Both this world, and the one I had just been in. Reality had become an abstract idea.