poppied

Date: 4/21/2019

My friends and I wandered through a grassy labyrinth. Cliffs jutted out into the world, daring us to take a leap. And earthy tunnels beckoned us into their mouths. Our eyes were glazed, and we knew we were going to die. Eventually, I found I was alone in the valley between wildflower-strewn walls, barely aware of myself--as if I had just woken up from an afternoon slumber. The only thought I could muster in my cloudy mind, ’I don't want to die alone.’ I scoured between rocks and ridges, and my shoes scraped through the black mud. Under a shadowy arch, I found Nathan. My lungs heaved and grasped at the crisp California air. ”Everyone’s gone,” I struggled to get the words out. I was leaning on my knees, but my eyes never broke away from him. He turned to me from where he was looking out at the blue sky, ”Everyone’s asleep.”