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Speaker 1: When tragedy strikes, it unfolds in the most unexpected ways.

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There were no ominous narrations or suspenseful melodies, no hints

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that the ordinary will suddenly transform into an extraordinary event.

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In an instant a cataclysm can reveal its devastating more,

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leaving chaos and despair for those left to witness. The

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air was chilly in November, and amidst the anticipation of

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a four day Thanksgiving weekend, the impending doom of the

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finals loomed, clouding our excitement. That morning, I was in

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science class do my best on the final exam. Too quickly,

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in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The events

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that followed were both awe inspiring and terror inducing. As

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I call, we were finalizing the evidence for our report,

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and my ears popped as if I had rolled down

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the window of a speeding car. The jarring rumble shook

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the classroom, accompanied by a deafening blast that robbed me

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of breath. The fire alarm wailed as water rained down,

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drenching us. I sprang up from my desk with an

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odd adreamal focus. We hastily made our way toward the aisle,

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abandoning our finals surprisingly, we maintained a semblance of order.

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The fire alarm blared as our teacher guided us out,

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and we obeyed in a mix of fear and trust.

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Like frightened animals, we followed the teacher's lead, navigating the

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corridors to the nearest exit. We had to walk past

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my mom's classroom, and I wondered if i'd see her

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getting her kids out. As I turned the corner, her

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classroom came into full view, and what I beheld was

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a nightmare made manifest. My heart seemed to stop, yet

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its frantic pounding was louder than ever. My mother's classroom

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door torn off its hinges, lay in a shattered heap

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against the opposite wall. The threshold was consumed by a

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furious inferno, raging uncontrollably. I was now the one to

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stand widness to this wake. I don't know what compelled

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me to charge into the blazing moor. Was it delusion

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of invincibility, a desperate belief that I could save her

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like a superhero? Or was it a simple act of

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need driven by an unexplainable force? And I cannot say

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even now. I pushed through the flames and smoke, and

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as soon as I crossed the threshold, the fire seized

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its anger. Descending the staircase with the grace of a

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stumbling infant, I hardly registered the loss of footing half

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way down. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, dulling the pain

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as I tumbled, and I regained my balance on the

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final steps. And there at the bottom step, an impossible

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coldness enveloped me. The chill of the air permeated my senses.

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As I departed the bottom step. Inside the room, obscured

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by dense smoke, the cries of anguish echoed. An nervous

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sweat broke out on my brow. As I ventured forward,

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guided by the sound, the acred stench of burning and

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flesh and hair assaulted my senses, threatening to overpower me. Gradually,

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my eyes adjusted to the darkness, granting me the unwelcome

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gift of sight. I wish they had failed me. The

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horrifying images etched deeply into my psyche. Charred bodies strewn

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across the floor, The limbs twisted and contorted, some still smoldered,

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becoming consumed by thin lines of crimson. I crawled greedily

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along their blackening skin, reducing it to ash. The scene

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was catastrophic. It was repulsive. A nauseating sensation crept up

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from within, the familiar prelude to vomiting. I thought to

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suppress it, driven by an instinct to reach the crying

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emanating from an overturned desk in the far corner of

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the room. That must be my mum. She's still alive,

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I thought naively. My path was obstructed by the lifeless

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forms of classmates down. My gut warned me to leave,

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but I ignored it. Almost reaching the desk, my attension

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was drawn to yet another body lying in my path.

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This one was slightly larger than the others. It took

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only a moment to realize the unthinkable. This was my mother.

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Her right side was gruesomely absent, her eyes clouded with

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milky white, and her jaw hung slack. She had lost

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an arm and a leg. Dead. My mother lay lifeless

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at my feet. The sound of sobbing irrupted again, originating

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from behind the desk. No discernible words, just heartbroken sobs.

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Setting aside my grief for the moment, Aided by shock,

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I left my mother's side to reach this person. The

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true magnitude of the disaster had not yet fully sunk

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in the realization that no one could have survived. The

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crying grew louder as I approached, echoing not only in

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my ears but in my thoughts. He drowned out the

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clamor of the alarms. It was as if I was

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ensnared in a waking dream, with the cries became my

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sole focus, blotting out every other sense. Reaching the desk,

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I cautiously peered behind it, my eyes drawn to a

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huddled figure in the corner. His black and skin mirrored

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the others, and he possessed little remaining hair. Tremors coursed

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through his body as he faced the wall. His arms

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extended limply, wrists hanging from his forearms. Hey, I yelled,

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Are you okay? Can you move? I said? As I'm

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in new movered around the desk, Looking back on it now,

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it was incredibly obvious that he wasn't no response, perhaps

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the explosion had damaged this hearing. Instinctively, I reached out

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and grasped his hand. The moment our skin made contact,

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the crying ceased and the tremor subsided. Slowly, he began

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to turn his head towards me, his neck moving with jerky,

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disjointed snaps, and then I beheld his face. Leathery skin

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clung to his emaciated skull, while his eyes, wide milky

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gray and white, mirrored my mother's through a slackened jaw.

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Brown teeth peeped out, devoid of lips, His broken nose

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sat withered upon his face completely. His leathery skin continued

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down his skeletal frame, with patches peeling off, revealing a

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putrid yellow fluid oozing from the infected wounds. I stood

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there in shock, taking in his convulsions and heaves. Suddenly

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his head rocked like that of a newborn, and he

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took a ragged, strained breath. Then he let out a

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sound unlike anything I had ever heard, But that's not

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the right way to describe it. The sound triggered a

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sensation within me, a feeling that wasn't entirely my own.

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I was engulfed by an overwhelming grief, an intense pain

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that consumed me entirely. Guilt as I had never known,

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washed over me, threatening to drown me in its depths.

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I recoiled from the desk, stumbling backward until I fell

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into my mother's charred remains, A cloud of ash billowed forth,

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caressing my face. As I gasped for air, I indvertently

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inhaled the plumes of my mother's ash. I threw upon myself,

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tears streaming uncontrollably. Crawling on my hands and knees, I

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distanced myself from the nightmare, my existence teetering on the brink.

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I crawled and then ran. Once I regained my footing,

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I ran out of that room, up the stairs, through

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the engulfing flames, through the school, past my bewildered classmates.

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I kept running. I ran unto my legs could no

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longer bear the way to my body and my shattering reality.

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I just kept running. Eventually I collapsed in a local park,

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where the police discovered me. The cold, crisp grass cradled

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my face, leaving damp imprints in unison with my tears.

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The officer who found me sat silently beside me in

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the field, offering no words of advice nor encouragement. We

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both began to shiver as the cold crept into our bones.

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I laid in that field until I succumbed to exhaustion

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and fell into a fitful sleep. I was so utterly

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exhausted when the officer drove me home, I awoke to

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a reality I felt both distant and surreal. The following

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years slipped away in a haze, an amalgamation of twisting

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memories and blurred moments. I found myself residing in my

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mother's home under the temporary custody of my aunt and uncle.

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The settlement from the life insurance payout, locked away in

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a conservatorship, offered a glimmer of financial security. Grateful for

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their decision, I thanked ma lucky stars that my aunt

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did not seize the opportunity to claim the money as

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her own. Instead, she handed me a substantial sum of cash.

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It was an overwhelming amount for a seventeen year old

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to possess while grappling with the weight of newfound responsibility.

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In due course, I was granted emancipation, propelled forward by

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financial freedom. Little did I know that this freedom would

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become a catalyst for a destructive spiral, deepening the void

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within my soul with every regretful choice. The passing months

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merged as if time itself was nothing more than a

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fleeting illusion. I was constantly oscillating between moments of herror

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and induced intoxication and near unconsciousness. My days were spent

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in a perpetual state of chasing a fragile equilibrium, and

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so as predictable and anti climactic as it may sound,

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I succumbed to the overwhelming grip of a heroin overdose.

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I vaguely recall the Nature documentary playing in the background

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as I craved another hit. Preparing the syringe, I found

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a suitable vein, and the liquid bliss coursed through my veins,

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flooding my senses. Was it my fifth sixth, more than

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I had ever done before? The rush surged through my

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body with an intensity I couldn't bear. My balance faltered,

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and I collapsed onto the couch, my head spinning in

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a disorienting haze. I slipped into unconsciousness, unaware of the

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vomit that spilled forth from my mouth. At that moment,

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I believed I was on the brink of death. In

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my haziness, I faintly recalled a piercing scream of some

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one who had entered the front door. I must have

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appeared as the visual embodiment of the death I had

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longed for. It was my aunt who discovered me in

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that state, the sight she never deserved to see. She

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was far too good to be exposed to the wretchedness

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that had become me. Rehabilitation became an inevitable path I

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had to tread. My therapist posited that the horrors I

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witnessed in my mother's classroom were projections of my mind.

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We sionifications of the hellish experiences I endured. In the

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ensuing months, I grappled with a profound sense of worthlessness.

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Despite the earnest efforts of those around me, weeks continued

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to bleed into months, and progress toward emotional and mental

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recovery became a slow, agonizing burn. No matter the tools

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and coping mechanisms I acquired, no matter the mental acrobatics

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I performed, I found myself sinking deeper into the abyss.

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The insidious cravings for substances clung to my heart with

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sickening tenacity. By the end of that year, I retreated

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into seclusion, abandoning my education and embracing a life of isolation.

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Depression became my constant companion, blurring the days into an

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indistinguishable haze. I traded one vice for countless others, escaping

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reality through endless hours of content and video games. Despising

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every fiber of my existence. Late into the solitary nights,

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even in sleep I found no respite. My nights were

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tormented by relentless nightmares, unyielding in the pursuit of stealing

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away what little rest I had left, and my emotional nuddeir.

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I ceased to care for even the most the basic needs.

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My body, an instrument of survival, was now perpetually hunched,

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bent by the weight of my deteriorating state. I had

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become a repungent wreck, a physical manifestation of the turmoil

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within my mind. I was a mirror reflecting the distorted

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image of my shattered mentality. The battle against my demons

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was slipping through my fingers, and I was losing myself

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in the process. In time, my life embarked on a

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transformative journey, emerging from the shattered remnants of an existence

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that had unwettingly become my solace. It began with a

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simple spark, an eruption of laughter. It was not a

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mere chuckle or a fleeting smark. It was a barely

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deep laugh that reverberated within me. The sound itself was

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foreign to my ears, stirring confusion and exhilaration. At that moment,

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I felt immense pride swell within me. Soon after, I

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sheard my former self transitioning from a reanimated corpse to

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an animated being. My new addiction became growth, and I

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pursued it with fervor. I constructed a fortress, a barricade

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to withstand the relentless onslaught of my mind. Attained the

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internal chaos that it consumed, me, gradually reclaiming control over

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my destiny. With every strained step, I crawled a feeble

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yet indomitable way up a treacherous mountain. Knowing I had

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to venture beyond my childhood home to nurture my emotional development,

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I decided without hesitation. I relinquished my home to my aunt,

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packed my belongings, and embarked on a journey to Florida.

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Florida became my homestead. I found refuge in a vacation

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cabin amidst the serenity of the Everglades. There were no

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neighbors for miles around, and the land belonged to a

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kind couple who were seldom present. The cabin, nestled within

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a dense, humid forest, provided ample opportunity to confront my

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inmost thoughts, aiding my recovery. Though reclusive, I reveled in

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the new found freedom. The forest around me was a

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testament to nature's magnificence. It thrived with beauty, teeming with

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life and vibrant hues. Birds sang, insects hummed, and the

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sun set gracefully. He was a stark contrast to the

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desolate nights I had once known. Occasionally I would venture

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to an ocean fed creak as Stone's throwaway, indulging in

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peaceful fishing. With each passing day, I slowly fortified my resolve,

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gathering the shattered pieces of my courage. The journey ahead

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remained daunting, but still a glimmer of hope illuminated the

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path ahead. I clung to the belief that someday, somehow

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I would break free from the clutches of the sphere.

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It was precisely what I'd yearned for. My life had

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become my own again. Though the memories still carried pain,

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they had become more bearable. I was on the verge

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of uttering those elusive words, I am happy, until the

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nightly lamentations found me, the anger cries piercing the silence.

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A relentless reminder of the entity that haunted my sleep.

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Sleep became an elusive luxury, for as darkness descended, the

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wail shattered any chance of rest. Daylight offered a brief respite.

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The cries became a force that unleashed forgotten pain. Shattering

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the barricade, I erected the dormant rancor within me, stirred,

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Awakening with a vengeance. My inner turmoil returned, engulfing me

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in a tempest that left me gasping for breath. My

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resilience crumbled like sand, slipping through trembling fingers. The laughter

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that once danced upon my lips died in my throat.

242
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I broke quickly, so quietly. Then one night I stirred

243
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from a nap that it inadvertently consumed me. Insensation tugged

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00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,960
at my consciousness, rousing me from my slumber. The room

245
00:20:06,039 --> 00:20:09,839
was shrouded in stale silence, the clock displaying a one

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00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,440
twenty six a m. It was the dead of night,

247
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yet mercifully devoid of the haunting cries. With cautious curiosity,

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00:20:21,519 --> 00:20:24,319
I rose from my seat and made my way toward

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the front door. Spurred by new found audacity, I recall

250
00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,920
thinking I should step outside, prove to myself that nothing

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00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,759
is there, prove the crying is simply in my head.

252
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As I approached the door, I envisioned walking outside and

253
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wondering where I should go. That night, the air was

254
00:20:50,079 --> 00:20:55,240
eerily calm, devoid of the usual bug song. I pressed

255
00:20:55,279 --> 00:20:58,599
my face against the small window on the door, peering

256
00:20:58,839 --> 00:21:02,599
into the darkness beyond, and fully expecting to find only

257
00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:09,279
an indistinct shadow. But to my horror, there it stood,

258
00:21:10,279 --> 00:21:13,440
staring back at me with an intensity. The scent shivers

259
00:21:13,519 --> 00:21:17,920
down my spine. Our faces were separated by a mere

260
00:21:18,039 --> 00:21:21,559
fraction of an inch of glass, locked in a macarb

261
00:21:21,799 --> 00:21:29,200
face to face encounter, a cacophony of screams erupted, shattering

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00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:32,559
the once tranquil air and sending tremors through my home.

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00:21:33,799 --> 00:21:37,559
The glow from the kitchen illuminated his face, etching its

264
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:42,839
haunting contours deep within my mind. His quivering jaw moved erratically,

265
00:21:43,559 --> 00:21:47,559
a grotesque dance of opening and closing with each labored breath.

266
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Each exhale berthed a clinging mist, smearing the glass with

267
00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:58,200
intricate patterns, forming its surface into eerie artistry. His vacant

268
00:21:58,279 --> 00:22:02,799
eyes remained fixed ahead, devoid of recognition, as if ensnared

269
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:08,039
within the clutches of unyielding madness. With unsteady steps, he

270
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:13,079
gradually retreated, his form, shrinking into a crowd's position mere

271
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,880
feet away from my door. There was no denying the

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00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:25,039
presence before me. Roseen in shock, I stood there, grappling

273
00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:32,079
with a maelstrom of emotions. Fear, curiosity, and twisted fascination intertwined,

274
00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:37,920
forming a turbulent whirlwind of conflicting impulses. Though an unsettling

275
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,799
truth settled within me, there was no denying the raw

276
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:47,480
reality of his existence. This was no figment of my imagination.

277
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There was a chilling encounter with a realm beyond my comprehension.

278
00:22:55,079 --> 00:23:00,599
My scream tore through the air, an instinctual response fueled

279
00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:06,039
by primal emotions. No coherent thoughts could encapsulate the overwhelming

280
00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:11,640
turmoil within me. Anger, fear, and frustration merged into a

281
00:23:11,759 --> 00:23:15,720
sickening sensation that gnawed at my core. I had grown

282
00:23:15,759 --> 00:23:18,799
tired of sleepless nights and a life that no longer

283
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,519
felt like mine. I'd escaped across the country to flee

284
00:23:22,599 --> 00:23:27,559
from this, Yet here it was huddled just feet away.

285
00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:32,599
Mocking my desperate attempt at sarlas. It felt like a

286
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,880
cruel joke my own mind was playing on me. Leave

287
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,720
me alone, I shouted, my voice cracking. His tears streamed

288
00:23:40,759 --> 00:23:46,279
down my face. Please just leave me alone. My cries

289
00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,759
resemble the agonized wails of a wounded and trapped animal.

290
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:56,559
Roar and untamed. Outside, the creature continued its relentless screams,

291
00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,440
rising to its feet again with a disjointed movement. It

292
00:24:01,559 --> 00:24:06,119
approached my door, its contorted posture resembling the grotesque position

293
00:24:06,559 --> 00:24:10,839
of a late stage tetanus patient, skin tearing as it leaned.

294
00:24:12,079 --> 00:24:16,279
Leave me alone. I yelled again, unleashing a surge of

295
00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,519
pent up emotion that had been dormant for far too long.

296
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,279
My please fell upon rotting ears. I could not comprehend

297
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:32,839
or sympathize. It reached my door. I had rehearsed this

298
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,240
moment in my mind over and over. I imagined how

299
00:24:37,319 --> 00:24:41,680
would confront and eradicate this embodiment of my deteriorating sanity.

300
00:24:42,599 --> 00:24:45,200
I had chosen this entity as the symbol of my

301
00:24:45,319 --> 00:24:49,720
mental decline, the effigy upon which my deserved future lay

302
00:24:49,799 --> 00:24:53,279
flayed and a bloody goodlike fashion offered to the altar

303
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:58,480
of my current reality. Driven by panic and rage, I

304
00:24:58,599 --> 00:25:02,000
grabbed the fire axe above my table, my body moving

305
00:25:02,079 --> 00:25:05,359
mechanically as I propelled myself back toward the barrier that

306
00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:10,960
separated us. A wordless scream of terror, revulsion, and hatred

307
00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,920
irrupted from deep within me as I crashed through the door,

308
00:25:15,519 --> 00:25:19,200
my clenched teeth unable to contain the overwhelming intensity of

309
00:25:19,319 --> 00:25:23,799
my emotions. The creature was struck by the door, its

310
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,319
body forcibly pushed backward, eliciting a feral gasp from its throat.

311
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:35,720
Now I was determined to end it, kill it, kill me,

312
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:41,960
candle kill. The words reverberated in an unsettling loop within

313
00:25:42,039 --> 00:25:46,039
my mind, out of sync with each other, fueling my purpose.

314
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,440
As I prepared to face the culmination of my anguish.

315
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:56,640
In a whirlwind of uncontrolled movement, I tumbled down the steps,

316
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,039
my body flailing as I crashed onto the ground. And

317
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,599
before I could fully process the fall, I found myself

318
00:26:04,599 --> 00:26:11,039
at my feet, instinctively rising without conscious thought, and there

319
00:26:11,079 --> 00:26:16,039
it was, face to face with me, its breath uncomfortably

320
00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,000
warm and sticky against my skin. The beutred stench of

321
00:26:20,039 --> 00:26:25,200
decay invaded my nostrils, causing me to recoil in demoralized repulsion.

322
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,000
I felt my courage waver and my resolve crumble. I

323
00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:35,599
realized I was not strong enough, not capable of facing this.

324
00:26:37,759 --> 00:26:40,400
I back pedaled until I was pressed against the wall

325
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:48,359
of my house. Then it screamed, convulsed, and trembled before me,

326
00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:53,279
its milky eyes fixed on an unseen horizon, its hands

327
00:26:53,319 --> 00:26:58,880
stretched out, reaching for something beyond my comprehension. With that scream,

328
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,880
a surge of courage and rage flood in my being.

329
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,440
It was the same as it had been all those

330
00:27:05,559 --> 00:27:09,240
years ago in the school, an overwhelming flood of emotions.

331
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:14,920
They were not truly mine to feel. It's difficult to articulate,

332
00:27:15,599 --> 00:27:19,160
but I embodied those emotions and allowed them to engulf me,

333
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:27,960
to consume me. Kill. The word reverberated relentlessly in my mind.

334
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,599
Springing forward with a wild scream, I swung the axe

335
00:27:32,599 --> 00:27:35,720
with all my might, the blade sinking deep into its side.

336
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,640
The sensation of bone deflecting the force of my strikers

337
00:27:39,759 --> 00:27:44,440
etched into my memory, never to be forgotten. Blood another

338
00:27:44,519 --> 00:27:47,200
fluid sprayed from the wound as it took a few

339
00:27:47,319 --> 00:27:50,599
faltering steps to the side. Pushed by the momentum of

340
00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:57,960
my assault, the creature seized, its cries, its tremors, its

341
00:27:58,079 --> 00:28:03,799
breath stood still, and it finally turned to look at me.

342
00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,960
Fear held me captive under its gaze. We stared at

343
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,440
each other, locked in a moment, and felt like an eternity.

344
00:28:13,799 --> 00:28:17,799
Voul breath washed over me, once more, seeping into my senses.

345
00:28:19,559 --> 00:28:26,319
Beyond that, nothing happened. We simply stood there, locked in

346
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,720
a silent exchange. I willed my frozen bones to thaw.

347
00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:34,240
My mind transitioning from terror and friends, had raged to

348
00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:40,839
something else. It was in pride, but rather a different,

349
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:46,039
indescribable emotion. Yet it carried a sense of triumph, I believe.

350
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,839
Unbeknownst to me, it had reached out and gently grasped

351
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:56,559
my arm, its touch going unnoticed until it began to speak.

352
00:28:58,559 --> 00:29:05,319
I never meant to scare you, he rasped, his voice

353
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:10,559
torn and ragged, struggling to emerge between shallow breaths. I'm

354
00:29:10,759 --> 00:29:17,799
sorry this had happened to you, it uttered, its words,

355
00:29:17,839 --> 00:29:23,000
filled with agony and desperation. Tears welled up in its eyes,

356
00:29:23,799 --> 00:29:26,799
a flicker of pain crossing its face as its ragged

357
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,119
hand clutched at the axe, lodged in its new laceration.

358
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:39,359
Please kill me, he wheezed, his pleased reverberating in my

359
00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:44,559
mind and reaching my ear. Simultaneously with its other hand,

360
00:29:45,119 --> 00:29:47,799
he gripped the axe and brought the blade to its neck.

361
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:58,400
Kill me, candle kill Now. Final word echoed like an

362
00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,160
explosion within my head, and his hand pressed against my face.

363
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:09,119
Everything plunged into total darkness for a fragmented moment. As

364
00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:21,880
I swung the axe. Suddenly I felt myself hurtling through space,

365
00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:27,079
avoid engulfing me. The air grew cold, and the wind

366
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:32,559
whipped past, intensifying the disorienting descent. I screamed in a

367
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:36,000
frenzy of confusion and terror, my voice lost in the

368
00:30:36,079 --> 00:30:42,920
abyss Downward, I plummeted faster and faster, the nauseating sensation

369
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:49,759
overwhelming me. Did I die? Is this death? I'm dead?

370
00:30:51,839 --> 00:30:56,640
Thoughts of my eminent demise gripped my courage, but I resisted,

371
00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:02,079
unwilling to accept my fate just yet. In the distance

372
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:07,319
far below, a growing light pierced through the darkness. Fresh

373
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,960
tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision and making

374
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,039
it difficult to gage the proximity of the light and

375
00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,920
how much time remained before I would be halted by

376
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:24,799
the unforgiving ground. But it was rapidly approaching. I squeezed

377
00:31:24,839 --> 00:31:28,200
my eyes shut, unleashing a scream that echoed through the void.

378
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,920
In the face of imminent death, I summoned every ounce

379
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:41,119
of defiance within me. I want to live, The words

380
00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:45,400
echoed in my mind, a fervent plea, repeating like a mantra.

381
00:31:46,759 --> 00:31:49,960
I curled into a protective ball, bracing myself for the

382
00:31:50,039 --> 00:31:55,319
impending impact that would mark my brutal end. Seconds stretched

383
00:31:55,319 --> 00:32:01,480
into eternity as I awaited the inevitable. Then, with a

384
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:06,440
soft and gentle thud, I collided with the ground, the

385
00:32:06,519 --> 00:32:10,960
impact akin to falling off the couch. A feeble whimper

386
00:32:11,119 --> 00:32:18,200
escaped me, carrying away the remnants of my shattered pride. Slowly,

387
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,119
I uncored my limbs and remained still a mix of

388
00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:28,799
confusion and exhaustion, paralyzing me as this death, Why had

389
00:32:28,799 --> 00:32:32,920
I somehow managed to survive? At the very least I

390
00:32:33,119 --> 00:32:37,400
was conscious? I reached out with my hands, feeling the

391
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:41,319
texture of the hardwood floor beneath me. I tempted to

392
00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:46,680
open my eyes. With darkness engulfed everything, rendering me blind

393
00:32:46,759 --> 00:32:51,640
to my surroundings. Rolling onto my back, I extended my

394
00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:55,000
arms as far as there would go, searching for walls

395
00:32:55,079 --> 00:33:00,319
that eluded my touch, instead only finding a formless nothingness,

396
00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:06,400
and new fear emerged as a creeping suspicion arose. Did

397
00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:11,319
I even have a face? With trepidation, I brought my

398
00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:15,400
unseen hands towards my face, and a sharp sting shocked me.

399
00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:21,799
As my dirty, sweaty fingers met my open eyes, it burned,

400
00:33:22,599 --> 00:33:26,640
and a faint chuckle escaped my lips, mingling with tears

401
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:31,640
that continued to cascade down my face. I released a weak,

402
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,119
triumphant sigh, throwing my arm in the air, and darkness

403
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:43,440
claimed me once more, my consciousness slipping away. When I awoke,

404
00:33:44,119 --> 00:33:49,559
I found myself in an unfamiliar hallway, illuminated by ethereal torchlight.

405
00:33:50,839 --> 00:33:53,880
Glancing around for my position on the floor, I took

406
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:58,880
in the details of my surroundings. The hallway stretched endlessly

407
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,960
in both directions, its warped and aged, the dark wood

408
00:34:03,039 --> 00:34:07,160
floors covered in a thick layer of dust. On each

409
00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:11,440
side of me, two doors stood adorned with handles clad

410
00:34:11,599 --> 00:34:16,079
in aged bronze The pealing, curling white paint of doors

411
00:34:16,559 --> 00:34:19,480
cast a small shadow that danced in the flickering flames.

412
00:34:20,599 --> 00:34:24,480
Ornate red and gold walls framed the hall, extending into

413
00:34:24,559 --> 00:34:31,119
the distance without interruption. The air hung still thin and cold.

414
00:34:34,119 --> 00:34:37,960
I pushed myself upright, drawing a reflective breath, just to

415
00:34:38,079 --> 00:34:42,320
find that my lungs refused to cooperate. I couldn't draw

416
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:46,119
in the air, an unsettling revelation that further shock my

417
00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:53,400
fragile state. Yet, amidst the disquietude, an unexpected acceptance settled

418
00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:59,239
upon me. Maybe I truly am dead, I mused, one

419
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:03,559
massaging the between my eyes, and perhaps this is limbo

420
00:35:04,079 --> 00:35:06,440
or some other place beyond the realm of the living.

421
00:35:08,599 --> 00:35:12,679
Standing before the doors, I brushed off the accumulated dust.

422
00:35:13,199 --> 00:35:17,280
As my fingers traced the bronzed knobs. I tempted to

423
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,440
turn the knob of the door on my right. It

424
00:35:20,559 --> 00:35:25,679
remained resolute, refusing to budge with my attempt. I turned

425
00:35:25,679 --> 00:35:28,199
my attention to the door on my left, hoping for

426
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:33,960
a different outcome. Yet once again my efforts proved fruitless.

427
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:41,039
The doors remained firmly shut, denying me entry. A sense

428
00:35:41,119 --> 00:35:45,519
of resignation settled over me as I contemplated the possibility

429
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,679
that I had indeed entered a land of limbo or purgatory,

430
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:55,880
where the deceased wandered aimlessly, seeking answers and respite. If

431
00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,800
there were lessons to be learned or tasks to be fulfilled,

432
00:36:00,079 --> 00:36:04,519
yet did discover them, But the absence of purpose, the

433
00:36:04,599 --> 00:36:09,760
prospect of eternal nothingness, weighed heavily on my soul. With

434
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,559
the deep breath, I made the conscious decision to venture

435
00:36:13,679 --> 00:36:17,840
further into the darkness, forsaking the dwindling light behind me.

436
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,360
Hours turned into an indeterminate passage of time as I

437
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:27,400
traversed the corridor, my hand trailing beside me against the

438
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:32,880
cold surface of the wall. Surprisingly, fatigue and hunger eluded me,

439
00:36:33,679 --> 00:36:40,320
further reinforcing the notion that I probably died. If this

440
00:36:40,599 --> 00:36:44,039
was the extent of my existence, an eternal cycle of

441
00:36:44,119 --> 00:36:49,400
aimless wondering, I yearned for something more. The prospect of

442
00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,559
mere nothingness, devoid of purpose or meaning, felt like a

443
00:36:53,639 --> 00:36:59,320
reality abandoned by the gods long ago. Determination and desperation

444
00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:03,840
meaning within me, urging me to maintain my pace and

445
00:37:04,039 --> 00:37:10,480
keep moving forward despite the uncertainty. And then a sudden

446
00:37:10,519 --> 00:37:13,920
burst of light ruptured the darkness behind me, catching me

447
00:37:14,039 --> 00:37:18,199
off guard. The icy tendrils of fear gripped my chest,

448
00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:23,000
causing me to flail and stumble my yelp. Swallowed by

449
00:37:23,039 --> 00:37:27,960
the darkness. With a surprising display of grace, I flocked

450
00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:32,280
heavily on my stomach. I clambered to my feet and

451
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:36,079
swiftly turned around. Repelled by a sense of desperate longing,

452
00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,280
I hurtled toward the new found light, driven by an

453
00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,679
unspoken fear that it would fade if I didn't reach

454
00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:48,599
it in time. Desperation fueled my actions as I lunged

455
00:37:48,639 --> 00:37:51,519
for the handle of the nearest door, seeking the anchor

456
00:37:51,599 --> 00:37:58,199
to halt my momentum. The handle remained steadfast, unyielding as

457
00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:03,199
it abruptly halted my chaotic trajectory. I clutched the doorknob

458
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:06,480
with both hands, pouring every haunts of strength into my

459
00:38:06,519 --> 00:38:10,320
attempt to pry it open. I threw my weight against

460
00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:17,360
the door, pulled, hit, kicked, and pleaded in desperation, but

461
00:38:17,519 --> 00:38:24,760
the door remained unafflicted. Exhausted and defeated, I crumpled against

462
00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:29,159
the door, collapsing to my knees. I buried my face

463
00:38:29,199 --> 00:38:33,360
in my folded, arms, tears flowing freely once again, as

464
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:38,280
a sense of hopelessness enveloped me. What was the point?

465
00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,480
There was nowhere to go, no escape from this damn place.

466
00:38:43,519 --> 00:38:48,559
I was trapped, imprisoned within my own personal purgatory. This

467
00:38:50,519 --> 00:38:58,639
was my punishment. Reality began to fracture, my veil of

468
00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:05,039
ignorance slowly lifted. Could I truly be dead? The realization

469
00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:09,559
dawned upon me, shattering the feeble illusion of safety and acceptance.

470
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:16,440
I wasn't okay. I wasn't safe. The weight of my

471
00:39:16,599 --> 00:39:20,639
unease bore down upon me, threatening to consume what little

472
00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:27,239
resolved remained. In the face of uncertainty, I whispered the

473
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:36,079
truth that echoed within my being, I'm not okay. I

474
00:39:36,199 --> 00:39:39,199
rolled on to my side, curling into a tight ball,

475
00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:43,679
clutching my legs close to my chest. I surrendered to

476
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:48,800
the oceans that consumed me. I seized all efforts, resigned

477
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:54,239
to my fate. Time lost all meaning as I lay there, motionless,

478
00:39:54,840 --> 00:40:01,280
accumulating layers of dust upon my immobile body. Months or

479
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:06,000
perhaps years passed in this frozen state. I remained frozen,

480
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:10,119
a monument to despair and defeat. The way to my

481
00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,840
surrender bore down upon me, and I grew stagnant in

482
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:20,719
body and spirit. As time passed, a small voice emerged

483
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:25,280
from the depths of my being, offering tiny shouts of defiance.

484
00:40:26,559 --> 00:40:30,159
It urged me to continue, questioning why I should give up.

485
00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:34,960
The relentless nagging of that voice eroded the staleness of

486
00:40:35,039 --> 00:40:40,360
my resolve, and so with great effort, I gave in

487
00:40:40,599 --> 00:40:45,440
to the persistent beckoning within. I began to stir my

488
00:40:45,519 --> 00:40:50,239
brittle bones, creaking and cracking in response to the tentative movements.

489
00:40:51,199 --> 00:40:55,159
Every inch of my being protested, muscles screaming. As I

490
00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:59,880
defied the platitudes that had held me captive, the desire

491
00:41:00,039 --> 00:41:05,679
for something different, something more, ignited within me. It took time.

492
00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:09,719
When I managed to rise to a sitting position. My

493
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,199
body clung stubbornly to the remnants of my self imposed stagnation,

494
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:18,480
resisting my will. But I knew I had to move,

495
00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:26,480
just move. I whispered those two simple words to myself,

496
00:41:27,159 --> 00:41:31,679
a mantra in the stillness. With each painful twitch and

497
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:37,360
each tear in my flesh, I pressed forward. The blinding

498
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:41,079
light pierced through the darkness, and I quickly shielded my eyes.

499
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:46,280
The hallway one shrouded in darkness, it was now ablaze

500
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:51,280
with a furious glow of burning candles, illuminating every inch

501
00:41:51,519 --> 00:41:56,239
of the endless walls, adorned with their white doors, Shielding

502
00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:59,960
my eyes from the searing exposure. I recoiled from the skull,

503
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:04,840
watching heat that began to radiate from the flames. I

504
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,039
peered through the gaps of my fingers, and a sight

505
00:42:08,199 --> 00:42:12,800
greeted me that filled my heart with renewed hope. There

506
00:42:13,559 --> 00:42:18,519
at the end of the hallway lay an exit, a

507
00:42:18,679 --> 00:42:24,599
definite continuation beyond these confines. A rush of motivation coursed

508
00:42:24,639 --> 00:42:29,440
through my veins, igniting a fire within my soul. Leaning

509
00:42:29,639 --> 00:42:32,559
against the wall for support, I wheeled my legs to

510
00:42:32,679 --> 00:42:35,880
carry me forward, pushing past the pane. With each step,

511
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:41,639
the longing to reach the final door consumed me. Drowning

512
00:42:41,679 --> 00:42:46,760
out the agony, I moved with a shaky shuffle that

513
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:52,360
evolved into a stiff, determined speed walk. In retrospect, I

514
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:56,800
can only imagine the nightmarish image I presented, But at

515
00:42:56,840 --> 00:43:00,360
that moment, all I wanted was to reach the end,

516
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:06,199
to embrace the promise it held. With each passing door,

517
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:11,960
I caught glimpses of their numbered plaques thirty seven, thirty nine,

518
00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:19,000
forty one, forty three. The numbers ascended, I found myself running.

519
00:43:19,079 --> 00:43:22,920
Soon the blinding light soon seared through my closed eyelids,

520
00:43:23,719 --> 00:43:27,559
the symphony of pain. Perhaps I should have gaged the

521
00:43:27,679 --> 00:43:31,400
distance to the end, but in my blind pursuit, I

522
00:43:31,519 --> 00:43:35,760
collided with the ending wall with a resounding thud. The

523
00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:38,639
impact broke my nose, and I tumbled to the floor,

524
00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:45,280
disoriented and wounded. As my body sprawled upon the ground,

525
00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,599
the once illuminated candles in the hallway extinguished one by one,

526
00:43:50,559 --> 00:43:55,320
enveloping the space behind me in an impenetrable darkness. Yet

527
00:43:55,760 --> 00:44:01,400
amidst the obscurity, one candle remained, definally a flat. The

528
00:44:01,519 --> 00:44:05,719
candle beside the door labeled one hundred and fifty eight.

529
00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:10,719
His flickering glow drew my gaze, anchoring me to the

530
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:18,199
present candor. The word reverberated within the recess of my mind,

531
00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:24,079
its significance echoing relentlessly, and then, like a distant echo

532
00:44:24,199 --> 00:44:29,159
from the past, a strained and familiar voice permeated my thoughts.

533
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:38,239
Kill candle. It urged a haunting reminder of the encounters

534
00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:42,920
I had faced. The voice bearing the same ragged quality

535
00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:46,360
that has sent chills down my spine before emerged from

536
00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:51,760
the darkness, piercing the silence with its command. A low,

537
00:44:52,039 --> 00:44:56,119
ominous rumble stirred in the distance, the sound foreign and

538
00:44:56,320 --> 00:45:00,840
unsettling to my ears. It started as a mere murmur,

539
00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:06,719
fairly perceptible. We gradually swelled in volume, intensifying with each

540
00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:10,880
passing moment. The air itself seemed to thicken and vibrate

541
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:15,079
with distraught energy, a growing force that quelled the surroundings.

542
00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:19,679
I felt it from deep inside my being. It was

543
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:24,079
the sound of impending doom, a creeping darkness that threatened

544
00:45:24,119 --> 00:45:29,800
to swallow everything in its path. As the rumble resonated

545
00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:33,400
through the depths of my being, a profound distress began

546
00:45:33,519 --> 00:45:38,199
growing within me. It crawled beneath my skin, coiling around

547
00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:42,239
my muscles and sinew with a chilling grip. The sensation

548
00:45:42,599 --> 00:45:46,599
of impending nothingness clawed at my very core, filling me

549
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:51,360
with a deep seated dread. It was a fear unlike

550
00:45:51,519 --> 00:45:55,360
any I had ever experienced, a realization that I stood

551
00:45:55,679 --> 00:46:02,119
at the precipice of an inevitable and irrevocable end. The

552
00:46:02,199 --> 00:46:05,199
way of this knowledge settled heavily, with a visceral stap

553
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:09,559
of anxiety that sent tremors through me. The world around

554
00:46:09,599 --> 00:46:12,400
me seemed to hold its breath, as if bracing for

555
00:46:12,519 --> 00:46:20,000
the impending collision with an unimaginable force. I stood helplessly, transfixed,

556
00:46:20,679 --> 00:46:25,199
caught between fight and flight the deer in headlights. The

557
00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:29,320
rumbull grew louder, reverberating with the resonance that shook the

558
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:33,639
very fabric of reality, and it quivered under its weight.

559
00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,800
With trembling hands, I clutched that the doorknob. My small

560
00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:43,440
rattles quickly became me desperately trying to twist it open.

561
00:46:44,519 --> 00:46:49,239
With the doorknob remained stubbornly locked. The rumbull grew louder

562
00:46:49,639 --> 00:46:54,079
as the unstoppable force closed in on me. Panic searched

563
00:46:54,119 --> 00:46:57,199
within me, causing me to frantically shake the door with

564
00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:04,920
wild desperation. Still it resisted, unyielding to my futile attempts.

565
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:10,119
The feeling grew ever stronger, and I became ever more frantic.

566
00:47:11,599 --> 00:47:14,760
I felt as though I fell into the quicksand of insanity.

567
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:22,199
Kill Candle, the words thundered in my mind, echoing over

568
00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:26,440
the impending roar that threatened to consume me. It was

569
00:47:26,519 --> 00:47:31,599
a command, a directive to extinguish the flame. In a

570
00:47:31,679 --> 00:47:35,079
moment of clarity amidst the chaos, I realized what I

571
00:47:35,199 --> 00:47:39,679
had to do. I reached out, smothered the candle's flame

572
00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:44,639
with my bare hand, and at last the door swung open.

573
00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:51,000
I was violently thrust forward, pulled into the void. The

574
00:47:51,079 --> 00:47:55,480
deafening roar receded, replaced by a disorienting rush of motion

575
00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:59,400
as I spun and failed completely at the mercy of

576
00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:05,000
another unseen force, control slipped from my grasp once more,

577
00:48:05,679 --> 00:48:08,800
leaving me to surrender to the unknown. As I flipped

578
00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:14,400
and spun through the void once again, abruptly, the tumult ceased,

579
00:48:15,119 --> 00:48:18,840
and I found myself standing outside my own home, as

580
00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:24,280
real tableau frozen in time. There I witnessed the enigmatic moment,

581
00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:29,280
a version of myself suspended mid swing, the axe poised

582
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:33,599
to strike the creature's neck. It was a fractured moment

583
00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:36,679
of the reality I had left behind all that time ago,

584
00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:43,320
a moment frozen in time and space. Taking a hesitant

585
00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:47,199
stepped forward, I was abruptly hurled back into my embody,

586
00:48:48,119 --> 00:48:53,199
the fragments of my existence reuniting time resumed its course,

587
00:48:54,039 --> 00:48:56,159
and I felt the weight of the axe as it

588
00:48:56,280 --> 00:49:00,719
carried out its intended purpose. The blade connected with a solid,

589
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:05,159
metallic impact, tearing a new rift in the fabric of reality.

590
00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:11,079
I was again plunged into adjarrant darkness. The whirlwind of

591
00:49:11,199 --> 00:49:16,000
confusion was the only thing familiar anymore. The musty scent

592
00:49:16,119 --> 00:49:20,639
of familiarity, reminiscent of my high school days, filled the air,

593
00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:28,119
punctuating the otherwise suffocating silence. In an instant, my vision returned,

594
00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:33,840
this time with a disorienting rush, accompanied by dizzying vertigo.

595
00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,199
I found myself standing in the classroom where my mother

596
00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:42,679
used to teach, a place I hadn't set foot in

597
00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:47,840
for years. Confusion clouded my thoughts as I turned my

598
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:53,239
gaze to the left, and there she was, my mother,

599
00:49:54,119 --> 00:49:59,599
staring at me in disbelief. A collective gasp rose from

600
00:49:59,639 --> 00:50:02,960
the student udence, their eyes fixed upon me with fear

601
00:50:03,039 --> 00:50:06,519
and horror. The way to their stairs pressed upon me,

602
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:11,039
making me acutely aware of the unusual circumstances I found

603
00:50:11,079 --> 00:50:15,360
myself in. I glanced at my feet in habitual embarrassment,

604
00:50:16,519 --> 00:50:20,159
and there I noticed the axe embedded in the gas line,

605
00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:24,800
emitting an ominous hiss that sliced through the thick silence.

606
00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:30,000
My eyes darted back to my mother and on a

607
00:50:30,119 --> 00:50:35,599
desk illuminated by a solitary burning candle. My gaze fixated.

608
00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:41,880
The word echoed relentlessly in my mind, the significance growing

609
00:50:42,039 --> 00:50:50,280
with each repetition. Candle, the candle, the candle. In a

610
00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:53,719
reflex surge of urgency, I released my grip on the axe,

611
00:50:54,039 --> 00:50:57,840
discarding any semblance of thought, and propelled myself toward the desk.

612
00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:03,119
But my efforts were in vain. Where As my fingers

613
00:51:03,239 --> 00:51:08,199
reached out, the catastrophic chain of events unfurled before me.

614
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:14,920
In an instant, the classroom irrupted in a fierce eruption

615
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:20,280
and inferno that devoured everything in its path. The sheer

616
00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:23,639
force of the explosion shoot the very foundation of reality,

617
00:51:24,360 --> 00:51:28,280
hurling me against the wall, my body crumbling behind a

618
00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:33,639
nearby desk. Charred and broken, my form bore the scars

619
00:51:33,679 --> 00:51:38,880
of the blast in my consciousness stubbornly clung on. I

620
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:42,480
felt pain unparalleled to any other I'd experienced so far.

621
00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:47,360
Amid the chaos, I gathered myself and began to crawl

622
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:54,119
towards my mother's mangled figure. She lay there, torn asunder,

623
00:51:54,679 --> 00:51:59,000
yet desperately still clinging to life with every ounce of

624
00:51:59,079 --> 00:52:03,159
strength left in me. The painstakely dragged my injured body

625
00:52:03,239 --> 00:52:09,039
toward her, My movements her testament to sheer determination. My

626
00:52:09,159 --> 00:52:17,760
hand reached out, seeking connection, but instead encountered a severed limb. Undeterred,

627
00:52:18,239 --> 00:52:21,440
I reached my mother, and she extended her remaining arm,

628
00:52:22,039 --> 00:52:26,559
seizing my hand with a desperate grasp, a bond unbroken

629
00:52:27,199 --> 00:52:33,119
even in the face of such devastation. Mom, I sobbed,

630
00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:38,199
my voice choked with anguish tears streamed down my face

631
00:52:38,599 --> 00:52:44,519
as I knelt over a broken form. Mom, I'm sorry,

632
00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:50,519
I cried out, my words, punctuated by deep sobs. I'm

633
00:52:50,599 --> 00:52:57,480
so sorry, mam. Her eyes met mine, and in that

634
00:52:57,599 --> 00:53:01,360
delicate moment, she must have all she had to water

635
00:53:01,679 --> 00:53:08,199
a sweet whisper I love you. She barely managed a

636
00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:11,840
weak attempt at a smile, grazing her lips, but a

637
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:16,519
grip weakened, her hands slipped away, surrendering to the pull

638
00:53:16,599 --> 00:53:22,760
of gravity. I collapsed once more, pressed my head against

639
00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:26,880
a scorching shoulder of flames from her burning clothes licking,

640
00:53:27,119 --> 00:53:32,039
and my tears soaked eyes. At that moment, the white

641
00:53:32,079 --> 00:53:35,360
hot pain of loss eclipsed any physical pain I might

642
00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:42,440
have felt. The realization struck with cruel clarity. I hadn't

643
00:53:42,480 --> 00:53:47,079
succeeded in extinguishing the candle. I had failed, once again,

644
00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:51,039
repeating the cycle with one hundred and fifty eighth time.

645
00:53:52,480 --> 00:53:55,440
The weight of my failure bore down on me, crushing

646
00:53:55,480 --> 00:53:58,400
my soul into a cloud of fine dust, to be

647
00:53:58,519 --> 00:54:03,920
carried away with a health that consumed my surroundings. I

648
00:54:04,039 --> 00:54:07,760
didn't deserve the reprieve of holding my mother. I needed

649
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:11,920
to escape from the desolation I had wrought. Crawling on

650
00:54:12,079 --> 00:54:15,559
hands stained with the blood, I retreated to the corner

651
00:54:15,599 --> 00:54:19,239
of the room, my arms hung limply at my side,

652
00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:22,920
my body trembling with a mixture of guilt and revulsion.

653
00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:30,599
I didn't want to touch anything, especially not myself. I

654
00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:34,920
recoiled from my own skin, my hands the instrument of

655
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:39,320
a demise. I wanted to shed my skin as it

656
00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:44,920
pressed this decrepit form even closer to my heart. I

657
00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:50,360
killed my mom, I whispered the words, heavy with self condemnation.

658
00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:57,360
I trembled, uncontrollably, consumed by my otherworldly screams of anguish

659
00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:03,039
and sorrow that shattered the air. Suddenly, a voice pierced

660
00:55:03,039 --> 00:55:08,639
the chaos from behind me. Hey, he yelled urgently, we

661
00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:13,199
have to get out. There's a gas leak, and reached

662
00:55:13,199 --> 00:55:17,960
out and grabbed mine. As I turned to face the source,

663
00:55:18,719 --> 00:55:23,639
the jolt of recognition coursed through me. I was staring

664
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:31,840
at myself, another version of me, but younger. At that moment,

665
00:55:32,280 --> 00:55:35,880
I realized with terror that I had become the embodiment

666
00:55:36,079 --> 00:55:41,039
of the nightmares. I screamed a primal cry of disgust

667
00:55:41,159 --> 00:55:44,039
and horror, forcing the other me to retreat in a

668
00:55:44,119 --> 00:55:51,400
frightened flurry. Days have passed since then. After the younger

669
00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:55,639
me fled, I was pulled back into our timeline, this

670
00:55:55,840 --> 00:56:03,360
timeline for the final time. I hope my journey was enlightening, entertaining.

671
00:56:04,519 --> 00:56:09,199
I hope you want stagnant as I did. And if

672
00:56:09,239 --> 00:56:14,440
you ever find yourself stagnant, lacated, absent, and it's the

673
00:56:14,519 --> 00:56:19,320
why that keeps you down, you should also ask yourself

674
00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:28,079
why not? Your reasons just might be enough to move

675
00:56:28,159 --> 00:56:28,840
forward again.