Change

Before my eyes even open I smell the remains of a fire burning out and hear the roar of the sea nearby. Warm water laps at my toes and beneath is something as smooth as silk. I slowly look and see exactly what I expected, a vast expanse of black sand so smooth it cannot stick to the warmest of skin, running along a deep blue ocean without waves as far as I can see. The horizon is lined in pink and a soft sun you can look directly into warms me to the core. A deep breath draws in air, thick and sweet, without a hint of the ash the fire should have caused. The water begins to recede and an empty day settles on my chest. There are no numbers to count or time to pass here, no people who speak and nothing to need. Here I exist and nowhere else does. I remember things from before of course, but they seem of no consequence now. I do not ruminate or miss, I have left everything behind and live in a seclusion so thick that change seems both inevitable and impossible. A sigh escapes my lips and rather then explore all of the things I have seen before I simply lie back down and continue to exist. No dreams disturb me, for there is nothing to desire. No nightmares either, for there is nothing to fear. Each moment lies undefined and every step lacks depth. Finally, I place my finger on my lip and without further thought I bite myself as hard as I can. Warm blood trickles down and I realize I have not seen red since arriving wherever I am. I have not felt pain. Until now. Change has come.