On this earth, this sad, sad earth there is nothing more painful than losing a child. At first, you deny what’s happening, surely there must be some mistake- this must be some cruel joke! But then reality sets in and you finally realize what’s happening... Oh my god, I’m losing him.

The sound of the machine slowly beeping away was the only thing I heard. Beep... Beep... Beep, it went as the hours past. All I could think was that at any second the beeping would stop and he’d be gone for good- my little boy.

He was only twelve years old, too young to be laying in a hospital bed stuffed with needles and drugs. His red hair lay softly against the backdrop of his pillowcase, his soft green eyes hidden under the blankets of his eyelids. All I wanted was for him to wake up, I’d trade anything, everything to make that happen.

“Baby, you need to leave.” My husband said, resting a strong hand on my shoulder. “There’s nothing more you can do.”

“He’ll wake up soon, I know he will.”

The hours passed as my husband returned home. I sat in that chair, seemingly designed to kill my back, as the same constant beep broke the long silence. But slowly my vision began to blur, I felt my body go limp as I closed my tired eyes.

I woke up somewhere dark, somewhere unfamiliar and confusing. I wasn’t anywhere but I felt the whole world around me spin. I’m dreaming, I thought. It’s just a nightmare, I have them all the time.

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Suddenly, as if on cue, I felt still. The darkness slowly became brighter, it was almost relieving. But the light wasn’t the type of light that was cast from the sun or a light bulb, it was orange and red, a flickering light that only one thing can produce. I felt heat, a terrible heat all along my body. The sudden pain was unbearable, it was like I was melting where I stood.

I screamed but only ashes left my mouth, I cried but only coal ran down my cheeks. I wasn’t alone, I was but one in a row of millions of eyeless souls screaming out in pure agony. They all looked different, but they all screamed the same. I felt claws run down my face, sharp talons poked out my eyes and took them away. I heard them cried profanities, they begged on burning knees, they shouted for someone to end their pain. But through the cries of a hundred million people, all seemed so quiet. No one was listening, no one could hear us. No one was coming, no one would come, no one was going to end our pain.

I woke up in a deep sweat, it was like I had just stepped out of a rainstorm. I was shaken beyond belief, I couldn’t move from where I slouched in my chair for I feared my legs would give. Beep... Beep... Beep, went the machine reminding me of where I am.

“Mommy?”

His voice alone brought me right back to reality. “Honey, oh god, Honey I’m here!”

“I can’t see you, mommy, why can’t I see you?”

I grabbed him up into my arms and held him close. “Just open your eyes, honey, I’m here!”

He paused for a moment, his eyes still shut. “Where am I?”

“You're in the hospital honey, you had a little accident, it’s alright!”

He went silent, a minute past as I held him even closer to me as if someone was going to take him away.

“Mommy.”

“Yes, Honey?”

“Why do they have no eyes?”

From behind me, the machine emitted a long sound, a haunting sound I can never forget: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.