Center

by Lillian

Blinding white light hits my eyes. I squint and step back. Something keeps me going, though the light hurts my eyes. Some strange force pulls me along.

All I see is white, all around me.

I struggle on, as if the light were some invisible force, pulling and pushing me at the same time.

Through my squinted eyes, I see something in the center of the whiteness.

I am curious to see what it is, so I strive to reach it. I think I see something red, but I'm not sure.

Pushing on, I fight my way closer and closer.

I finally reach my destination. Only when I get within three feet of the object do I realize what it is.

Floating in mid-air is a glass vase. It is about twelve inches high, and very thin.

Inside the vase is a gel-looking substance that looks like goo. I think it might be water.

In the center of the vase is a single red rose, standing straight up. It is the most perfect thing I have ever seen. Two tiny thorns peek out of each side of the flower. The petals are blood-red, and have dew drops scattered on them.

As I stare at the rose, enchanted, the room begins to move. The rose and vase pull back at an alarming speed.

The rose is now replaced by white light and blinding brightness again.

As I stand perplexed, trying to figure out what is going on, I feel myself start to slip. I reach out for something - anything - to stop my fall. All that is there is bright white light.

I open my mouth to scream, but find I have no voice.

I fall, like Alice down the rabbit hole, into blackness.

I can't see anything, not even my own hand in from of my face.

I want to go back to the white light, but I can't.

The black darkness engulfs me.