Prologue- The Dark I Know Well

'Close your eyes. Allow yourself to see nothing but the darkness. Now, cover your ears. Do you hear that? Nothing. Nothing but echoing sound of silence, only interrupted by the beating of the muscle in your chest, and your own deep, shallow breaths. It's as if finally: after all the worries, all your pain, and all the chaos the world surrounds you with; it all just fades away. Leaving you standing alone, in a beautiful dark silence of a litany.

As far as your concerned in this place nothing will touch you. Nothing will hurt you, and more importantly, there is only you. Everything and everyone that you know ceases to exist here. As far as your concerned there is only you, you and these brief moments of calm before you allow yourself to sail straight back into the storm. You have to take this moment of secluded serenity, and put this moment back into perspective. You have just a few moments before you have to uncover your eyes and open them to the tragedy before you, so you need to savor this perfect peace while you can, think of those you adore, and those you love, let them hold your hand. Remember that touch one last time before you open your eyes and risk losing it forever.

Now…open your eyes.'

The bitter cold was the first thing to ambush her back into consciousness. Her eyes pricked with harsh tears and a cruel, aching pain instantly surrounded her limbs. She could see nothing in the sky but the flashing lights before her amongst the thundering rain, slowly starting to blur. She could hear the muffled voices, and as she winced through the pain in her body to tune her ears to the sound, she realized the muffled sounds were screams of horror. She felt someone's hand brush against hers, and lift her battered body into their warm arms. She felt them burying their head into her bloodstained hair, muttering over and over, "Stay with us, please…please just hold on". Then she saw something approaching her. The blinding lights created a back-light as the silhouette drew near. And as they reached just in front of her, the figure came into focus... a small brunette with tears streaming down her heart broken face. She tried to keep her eyes open, the arms holding her raising her as the brunette kneeled down beside her and held onto her hands tightly. "Please, please don't do this," the brunettes soft voice sounded but all she could focus on was those perfect dark brown eyes bearing into hers. She closed her eyes to remember the touch. The soft hands cradling her with love, and the strong arms that protectively held her back from the angels with all their might.

She felt herself slipping further and further away from the warm touch and willed her body to open her eyes once more. But this time, instead of staring back into the tear-flooded eyes before her, she stared beyond them. She stared straight into the eyes of the young man standing in the background. She stared at him: his tall, muscular figure standing proudly and handsome in his military uniform. She blinked in disbelief and attempted to call out to him, but nothing but a painful choke came from her lips. She looked into his brown eyes and saw the frozen tears he held in them, and the sympathetic smile he wore them with. She found herself trying desperately to understand the moment before her, but her life drained body refused to allow her to move.

She realized the embrace around her was tightening, and the soft hand clutching tightly on to hers was trembling with fear, as her eyes snapped back to her terrified friend.

The brunette lowered her face to rest their foreheads together as she cried softly once more, "Why did you do that? You're so stupid, you know that?" She laughed gently before holding back a sob to softly continue, "Please…please don't leave me. I can't break anymore."

She felt the other girls tears dripping onto her face as she carefully lifted her hand to the brunettes cheek, and parted her lips with one last breath of air, "I said his heaven would be only half alive; and he said mine would be drunk: I said I should fall asleep in his; and he said he could not breathe in mine..." she closed her eyes as the pain began to take over her crippled corpse. "You shine beyond anyone I've ever known, and if I can do this to let you keep on shining; then I'm not sorry, and I won't ever be". She felt the other girl throw her arms around her neck and cry warm tears onto her cold skin.

The other girl loosened her arms and stared a breaking smile to her as she pleaded, "Please don't leave me yet, I'm not ready to let go…"

She found her eyes leaving the tender scene and looking back to him in the distance. He slowly tilted his head to her, and reached out his arm. -His eyes telling her the inevitable, 'it's time'. She took a deep breath and allowed the tears to fall freely, as she squeezed her friend's arm and nodded her head as she cried, "I'm ready Noah".

Just like that, everything faded to black. The sound muffled, and the hurt, the pain, and the tragedy that surrounded her…was gone.

They say when you die -it tastes like lemons. Well I say they, but in all honesty I feel we all listen to 'them' too much. Especially considering I doubt anyone on the earth actually knows who 'they' is. We base all our main philosophies in life, on the words of someone who refuses to show their face and reveal their identity to us. Now unless they are Superman or the Hulk, I fail to see why 'they' can't, and this makes me fail to trust them all that much. This opinion of mine was also highlighted particularly by the fact that when I died, it tasted nothing like lemons. In fact, the entire experience was so surreal, I don't think anything other than 'Holy crap, you have got to be kidding me...already?' was actually running through my head.

Okay, so maybe I'm not exactly being entirely truthful. The truth is, my whole body ached like it was on fire, yet the rapid pool of blood appearing around me, and the draining colour of my skin told me I was anything but warm at the time. The only I time I tasted, the only time I smelt, touched; or really any of my senses came into focus...was when I shut my eyes. Someone once told me, that I couldn't let these bad things that happen, continue to build inside of me and overwhelm me in the dark. I had to take control and realize it never has to be that way. Nothing is ever that simple in the world. Then they told me words I knew I would take with me until the day I died. And when I shut my eyes and embraced the calm it brought me, I wasn't surprised to hear the memory of their voice echo those words to me, "When the world is dressed in black and white, I can always see the colour, with my eyes closed tight". That, was a philosophy that I trusted. For when I felt myself slipping away, and closed my eyes tightly; I found myself staring at the faces of my family and friends. Feeling, with the loving rub of his stubble on my cheek as he embraced me in his arms once more. And another's gentle touch of a finger sparking electricity off of mine, as we connected for what would probably be the last time. The smell of freshly baked goods filled my lungs, and that voice muttering the true philosophy to me, followed by reassurances that the pain would end soon. But the last sense to make its appearance to me, the one I expected first, was taste. But it wasn't of lemons, no, it was a taste I never expected it to be...one I never considered my feelings for before. It was the taste of a grape slushie, trickling over my taste buds. -Ironic really, considering my history with the iced product. Ironic, odd, unexpected...but perfect all the same.

So no, there were no lemons. There was no pain. But there was no 'they' either. Just me...my deep breaths, the sound of the muscle beating in my chest amongst the muffled sounds of the world covered by my hands over my ears, and the blissful black, cathedral of solitude, that came with the simple action of closing of my eyes.

Okay PLEASE REVIEW if you read this so I can have feedback and know whether I should continue with this story or not. I've already planned out pretty much all the story but if you have any wishes or directions you would want the story to go in, please feel free to speak up and help me improve (if I decide to continue with this project that is...like I said, it depends on you guys!)

Thank you! -After all if you're reading this, then you at least made it to the end of the Prologue...congratulations!