A young girl awoke from a long sleep, alone. The room was black; the air, cold. Her breathing echoed in the emptiness. She hiked the covers around her neck and rolled on her side. “Two more minutes.”
Those seconds passed. Others came and went. She knew she should get up but had no place to be, no place to go. She curled into a tighter ball, her fists clenched, pressed against her heart. “Two more minutes.”
Her eyes closed. A forest appeared. Thick, green vegetation filled the spaces between the towering trees. She searched for an opening, a way to disappear into the new world. “Two more minutes.”
Step by step she followed the perimeter, dragging her hand along the wall of leaves and branches. Voices called out. She stopped to listen. Silence. She continued on. “Two more minutes.”
In the distance a man emerged with arms spread. He beckoned her closer. But with each step she took, he increased the separation between. She stopped. He urged her on. “Two more minutes.”
Back into the forest the man went. A chilling breeze passed over the girl. The loneliness poked at her chest. She crossed her arms, tucking her hands for warmth. Clouds formed. Rain trickled down. “Two more minutes.”
She found an opening into the forest. The trees shielded her from the elements. Her arms dropped to her sides. She watched the rain fall. Drop by drop it built into a steady stream. “Two more minutes.”
Slowly she backed into the forest, eventually losing sight of the outside world. Surrounded, she turned in a circle unsure which way to go. She stepped right, then left, weaving through the foliage. “Two more minutes.”
Darkness ensued. She forged on. Through the leaves a light flashed. She heard a baby crying. Her legs tired; her back ached. She cried for help. There was no response, only the consistent wailing in the distance. “Two more minutes.”
She thrust forward in bed. The room now filled with light. Her sheets soaked with sweat. She scanned the room. Her mind raced. She slid to the edge of the bed. Her clothes balled on the floor from the night before. She smiled. “Two more minutes.”
