Her Voice Echoes

She was only 21, the sound of her mother’s voice now only a faint memory.

“Where did this disease come from?” “How did I not see this coming?” She wondered as tears flowed down her cheeks, out of her swollen eyes, tired from days and nights of endless crying.

Suddenly there was a rapid knocking on the door,

“Come quick!” Yelled her neighbor, clearly distressed and disheveled. “We have to go! There’s a spot in the sky that’s opening up into an extraordinary bright light!”

She didn’t believe a word he was saying, knowing that he was suffering from schizophrenia and delusions. In this current state though, it was almost comforting to be distracted by this idea and she willingly came along. Before she left the house, she grabbed her little black book. This notebook had become her lifeline, her solace in the storm surrounding her since her mother’s untimely death. She wrote every emotion and bit of sadness in it and now it felt like a best friend that had to come along on every adventure. As she walked out the door and headed down the street with her neighbor and her notebook, she started to feel a tinge of excitement- a lightness she hadn’t felt in some time. She wished that it was all true so she could escape the pain and suffering.

There it was, the most brilliant light she had ever seen. It came from a giant cumulonimbus cloud, pouring out this light like a waterfall from the sky. In the rays of light, she could see the colors of the rainbow. She had an urge to join it and get swallowed up by the warmth and extravagance of this amazing moment in time. She imagined that it would bring her joy and a peace she no longer knew.

With one brave leap, she jumped as high as she could and suddenly realized that this was all a dream. She remembered that she had joined an experimental group of lucid dreamers with the intention of the scientists discovering how the dreams worked. Then she heard a voice, “Please write down your story in the little black book so you don’t forget it.” The scientist reminded her of the purpose of the dream, to enter the black hole and extract $20,000 dollars. She needed the money to go to Austria and reclaim her mother’s paintings that were locked away in storage and have them shipped back to America. The mission seemed simple, the money was in the black hole and while she was lucid dreaming she had complete control.

“Awaken my child, you know where I have hidden the money. Don’t be sad anymore, live your life to the fullest and keep my memory alive by being kind and generous and most of all be creative,” said the voice of her Mother’s spirit.

Then with a jolt, she awoke. Surprised that her dream was so vivid and realistic. She heard her mother’s voice echoing in her mind and she knew where she had to go to find the money. She remembered a key that her father had tucked away in his junk drawer. She never knew what the key was for until now. She brought the key to her sisters’ house and together they opened the jewelry box that had been locked since their mother passed. There it was, a check written out in their mother’s handwriting, unmistakably hers. They couldn’t believe their eyes but they knew what they’d have to do with the money.

“Mommy’s art needs to be seen by the world,” said her sister. “Let’s go!” They both cried out in excitement.

“But first, I need to write something down in my little black notebook.”

Dear Diary,

I’m so sad and happy at the same time. I don’t think this whole in my heart will ever truly heal, yet I do feel a sense of closure. I miss her every day, I can’t believe she’s gone! She will never get to see me walk down the aisle or meet her grandchildren. I want to call her and I can’t. But, despite all that, I know that she’s with me and she’s telling me to not let this precious life go to waste being sad. She’s constantly whispering in my ear, telling me to live life to the fullest because we never know when it could be over. I hope to inspire others to live fully with gratitude for each moment. Life is not guaranteed, peace comes from within and happiness is a state of mind. Thank you mommy, and thank you my dear diary.