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Solitude

By William Sangalli

By Will SangalliPublished 8 months ago 2 min read

I had been bumming it out here for a few weeks and there hadn't been any disturbances throughout that time. After Autumn had thrown me out of the car on the way back to Provo, I stumbled upon this abandoned wooden structure and took solace within its confines. I must have walked for five hours that day, considering the sun went down before I found this place, and I was dumped around noon.

My legs were exhausted, and my mouth was parched, which was the least of my worries. Nights here in this desert of salt were unforgiving.

Whether it be the cold greeting you with death or a black bear finding your scent. I couldn't find peace of mind. But all of a sudden, in the distance, I gazed at something.

A beam of moonlight slides across a structure. It brings some comfort and peace to my mind. It seemed as if this structure was placed here for me to find.

As I approached it with heavy feet, my mind sprinted to conclusions. How could something be out here in the middle of this desert?

Maybe it was a part of the old salt mining company that would harvest the salt fields, my mind told me. It could have just as easily been an abandoned home. But as I got closer, it became evident that those were not the cases. This was not a building that had been made. It was gifted to us, to me. I fell to my knees before I was even within 10 feet of it. I could no longer use my legs for the intended purpose for which they were given. My mind could no longer give me thoughts or conclusions to help justify. Who was I? Where was I going? My eyes closed, and I fell into a deep slumber. Dreaming of my isolation here, I feel a panic wash over me, even as I sleep. I see a small wooden house standing alone in the middle of a desert. Large gusts of wind howled over the roof, moving salt and dirt every which way. A woman stands right inside the doorway. She wears a white gown while holding a child in her arms. I could not make out her face, but she seemed eerily familiar.

A yelp jolts me awake. I stand. What could that have possibly been? For a few moments, there is complete silence. Then another yelp.

I began to weep.

Inspiration

About the Creator

Will Sangalli

conscious

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