Mariposa Kisses (aka Dianne's Blog)

My breath felt lost inside the dark, moist cave that swallowed me up like a helpless animal. The shadow crept methodically toward my trembling body, for now, unnoticed. My eyes remained closed while the pitch black night fed upon my terror! The wind howled as snow white fingers covered my quivering lips and I knew with certainty that I would not escape. Suddenly, cool air brushed across the nape of my neck; and before I could take another breath, mechanical limbs forced me under its fire-red belly. My scalp was pulled in one direction while wrestling toes were yanked in the other. Icy cold numbness paralyzed my mind while boiling heat raged inside my veins. The sound of steel drums juxtaposed against peaceful piano chords inside my ears. My mind and body were one and yet, strangely, two contradictory forces fighting a battle that could not be won. Being hunted was so much different than I’d imagined--- so eternal, so cold, so lonely! Then its piercing yellow gaze forced me to open my lifeless green eyes. Strangely, at the peak of insanity, serenity took over; like in a dream, my racing heart slowed to an incoherent hum. Bump…bump… bump. My heartbeat was inaudible now, even to the trained ear. I could no longer hear normal sounds, like the water droplets dripping down the side of the muddied wall or the frantic bats fleeing for their lives overhead. It’s as if I was floating in some other world now--- almost surrendered to death. I could barely feel a thing. DEAR GOD HELP ME! The blow overpowered my neck and shoulders. I’m electrocuted! Somebody, help! I screamed, but no-one came to my rescue. My existence of three short decades sprinted down a cold, black tunnel--- until something unexpected occurred. It was even more odd than the giant spider bringing me to my premature death. Reds and blues flowed perfectly together forming a new shade of purple that I’d never seen before. Then un-sourced rays of sunlight began to flood my body with soothing, soft molecules. The magical light released some kind of glittery healing agent that renewed my skin and strengthened my muscles. My bones felt supercharged too--- as if they’d been replaced with some kind of titanium alloy. As weird as this was, I was totally relieved because--- I was healed. I was no longer in any kind of physical or emotional pain. No longer worried, my heart and mind felt refreshed---such new feelings for me. You see I’m a worry-a-holic. But the gooey gel had done the trick. I figured the magic would have been a little bit different though, somehow more poetic or surreal. And all along, I could hear my name being called by a white winged creature, but it was in a language that I’d never heard before. Simultaneously, I felt the wind singing new sounds, as if I’d acquired a sixth sense. Then the blue-eyed being motioned for me to pull back my long brown hair and ... “Renee, get up! It’s already seven in the morning. They’re going to be late for school. You must have hit snooze like ten times,” Eric lovingly shouted into my pounding ears. I felt I had just evaded death. How could my husband not realize that getting our three kids to school on time paled in comparison? “I’ll skip my shower. Don’t worry! I just need some strong coffee,” I whined as I flopped onto my back in the shape of a very sloppy X. Out of the corner of my sleep-encrusted eyes, I noticed a pure, white feather falling from the sky, dancing just inches beyond my wooden, red-framed window. Under normal circumstances, I would have assumed it was just a sea gull’s feather since we live so close to the beach. But this was different; its iridescent glow called me to notice its presence in some kind of spiritual way, which sounds weird, I know. It’s just that after that bizarre dream, today’s beginning found me confused and a bit strung out--- wishing the gooey gel had been real. And I’m not sure why, but this twirling feather reminded me of The Nutcracker Ballet, which made me think of Alexa, my older sister, who I hadn’t spoken to in months. And that prompted me to text her about her upcoming birthday. I couldn’t believe she was turning forty-one this year. But without a single sip of coffee, I could hardly be expected to produce any type of reasonable thought so early in the morning. Then against rational judgment, my face plunged back into my over-sized pillow for just a few more minutes of rest.