Looking around I am surrounded by water, but how? I was sleeping and why can’t I swim… my arms aren’t responding?! I look for my arms, but I don’t see them? I don’t see any part of me.
Nope. Just Nope. I frantically look around, where am I, where is the rest of me, why in the seven levels of hell and the first heaven can I not find my body?!
While I was panicking water continued to carry me along. I would probably worry about that next, but I am still spinning in place trying to find the rest of ‘me’. I am very lucky that I haven’t gotten dizzy yet.
The water started to make a different noise though. Like it was flowing through a smaller space then falling. I didn’t really notice it until it reaches the point of practically growling in my ear. (How was I breathing? I needed to breath. Where were my arms I needed to swim UP? I needed to swim away from the-)
A waterfall. Great, what next a crack in the earth along the bottom that leads to an underground cave?
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As it turns out, yes. That is exactly what is next. At this point I have given up trying to swim or see the rest of me. There isn’t anything there. And I don’t see enough of me to try swimming via wiggle. Not that there is that much room here. Oh, sure at the start I easily fit within the crack, but the walls have been getting narrower and there isn’t a way for me to ease my way so, I am likely to get-
Stuck on a rock.
It’s not even a large one, from this perspective. Maybe an inch long, or a couple centimeters. Either way a small rock, but still long enough to keep me from being able to move forward. The gap between walls looks maybe 4 inches or maybe 10 centimeters. Not that large and I couldn’t give an exact since I have nothing to compare it two. The pressure from the water behind me is growing and I can feel the rock that’s stopping me from moving forward slowly grinding into me. (Wait, why is it grinding?) The rock breaks as I am hit by a twig in the back. I shoot forward and the wood gets stuck in my place, just to repeat the process again.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I feel like I am moving at great speed but that may just be me (why can I fit in here?). I am going fast enough that the rocks in the walls if this crack aren’t slowing me much when I brush them (I spin, and spin, and SPIN).
And then I land in a pond.
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I am unable to move around in the pond. The only good thing here is how I float on a still service. But whenever something new drops in and makes things move, I sink. I don’t like sinking. I sincerely think I may be developing a phobia. I mean I didn’t drown when I was stuck beneath the water, but I panic and try to flail whatever limbs I don’t have anymore to stay on top.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I had arms. I still try to figure out how to move.
I focus on one side of the pond. ‘I want to go over there’. A good step one, destination. Step two deliberation: how am I getting there. I have tried the moving arms (I don’t have arms what happened to them); I tried kicking with feet (I KNOW I wasn’t in an accident bad enough to loose them, what); I tried making my body wiggle like a snake (why don’t I feel any movement). Step two is not going well.
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I have decided to change my approach. I will go through all that I am able to notice and see what senses I have.
Sight, check says the twig I am staring at.
Sound, check says the intermittent drop that I want to stop or have be consistent (but when does the universe care about that).
Touch, No check. Which is worrying. Visit later.
Smell, check… I think. I could be imagining it. Also visit later.
Taste, Open mouth…I am not feeling mouth opening. (Why am I not feeling mouth opening? I need to eat eventually. I don’t want to starve!! WHAT!)
Taste is another no. I will panic later. I have already panicked today. The daily limit in panic has been reached. I am Not Panicking.
I am focusing on words. What words do I know? *drip goes the drop* ‘drip, drop, fop, mop, top, shop, fop.’ I fail at my internal word association game, not even 10 and already repeating.
Get a Grip.
Alright. Breath. Alright. Breath Out. Breath In. Hold. Breath Out Slow. Hold. Breath in. Slow. Hold. Breath Out.
Alright. So, I have no limbs, no mouth, no ability to touch. If I have no mouth I do not need to eat. This is good. Because I see nothing to eat.
All is well.