"Dreams" by Johnathan S

     As I sit here, hiding and locked away from facade that lies beyond the door, this one thought remains inescapable: I have much to fear. My mind, plagued with the afflictions of panic and terror, is seldom assuaged by the consolation of fixed convention that this expanse provides. The crowded company of this habitation tremble with the ground as the courtship between Earth and Sky is sparked with Zeus's might. I have cowered beside them in this harrowing room for years with day bringing no greater illumination than night ever could allow, and from this darkness I have been led to a myriad of burdening questions. What will become of me if I leave the comfort of my conventions? Will my journey ever bear the fruit of completion, or will my efforts lack the fertility to conceive success? I admire the valiant souls that depart from the consolation of our homely routine. Few eyes have seen the conclusion of the prismatic brimstone path that lies just beyond the door. Most have lost their way, crashed to the depths of diffidence and hopelessness in their hopes to find the Crock of Gold at the end. The risks posed by such an endeavor are too great for I. Leastwise here is invariable and undemanding. I can spend my efforts sleeping away the days, attempting at peace and comfort. Yet, herein exist no peace or comfort. I contend day to day with the life I live and the life I covet. I’m locked here, hidden away and fatalistic of my being forgotten. I look out the window, yearning to see the Light unseen. Light has been unseen in this room by the furthest of my recollections. Even now, not a star in the sky to share my gaze.

     But then─I saw something. A brightness broke through the blank plane of the sky. It was beautiful, a heavenly body whooshing through the emptiness. Never in my life have I been bestowed with such a magnificent sight. The prospects of my dreams─once forlorn─now illumined with aspiration and ambition. I must follow it.  I crept through the dark crowded room, weaving through the maze of sullen bodies making my way towards the door. Before me stood the barrier between the facade of my conventions and the consolation of what lies beyond the door. Am I ready? Do I harbor the strength to endure what’s to come, or will I fall and crash like the others?  At that moment the Light revealed itself through the window yet again, temporarily consuming the darkness that I’ve only ever known to be an abode. I was quickly overwhelmed with joy and glee. I have never been stricken so. What I must understand is that I do much to fear, but  life cannot continue without risk. It is necessary to gamble and roll the dice. A great deal of people may have lost their way, however that does not allow one to be foolishly blinded by pessimism. A great deal of people have made it through the storm that brews outside. Such can be done by them as well as I. I stared at the door; there was no door knob, just a keyhole. It radiated with possibilities and echoed with opportunity. I reached my hand out, yet the door opened by its own will before me, revealing what was at a time a hellish path, truly an opalescent passage resembling a rainbow; bringing the thought of prosperity. Zeus's displays were destructive and horrifying, but upon the door opening, His bolts suddenly became a sacred light. I saw so much beauty in front of me when for so long I saw nothing but darkness. Hence I went forward with the Light shooting through the sky as my guide, trekking on the rainbow path as the lightning shined my way.