somewhere unknown

Date: 6/19/2016

I was a small, young woman, with a similar face to my own, but shoulder-length, vibrantly blue hair. It started as a vacation before the violence began - climbing around different parts of the city, crossing a river and ending up in a large, adobe building. The style of dress implied a past time, maybe late 1800's, early 1900's. A local warned danger was coming but we giggled like it was no issue, wondering casually if we'd be found out in this quiet building. Then we heard the arguing, the screaming, saw the smoke in the distance. I don't know where my friends went but they were gone, leaving me behind with worried locals. The man that had warned us stayed with me and the two of us walked out of the building and into the street where the tents from the marketplace stood up and full of goods even in the dark, with loud, angry men all about. Again I found myself casually walking about without fear, maybe calmed by the sight of shopkeepers at ease. But they saw me, knew I didn't belong. I was found and I could no longer see my local protector. And suddenly, I was formless, no body at all. I continued to wander the streets, taken by the colors of the night sky, the old walls, the torches lit, young and old women gathered together in groups all over trying to find their way out. Had I died, I wondered? Was I cut down so quickly I had no time to process? Surely if I were alive I'd have some physical form to look upon. I looked down - nothing but dirt on the ground. For whatever reason I felt no fear, felt almost bemused by this predicament. I was next to the river now - men were holding torches everywhere and they glinted in the reflection of the river. I knew there was more death to come, could sense the blood in their veins quicken and pressurize. I thought I might stay and watch a while but I thought to myself, it doesn't really matter and shortly after this moment I woke up.