My heart-shaped box

It was a cool August night. All was quiet and peaceful in my house as my parents and older brother were sleeping in their rooms. I was lying in my bed, trying to fall asleep at least for a moment, much like I had done every night. My room seemed very dark and gloomy. The Moon was barely noticeable because of the dragon-like clouds dangling on the summer sky. Heh. In my mind, they were trying to make the stars jealous.

After a while, my eyes finally closed. Just as I thought my pain and my insomnia were cured, the window violently blew open and woke me. What a brief taste of freedom. 'Predictable…' I said to myself and sighed heavily. I was getting so frustrated, I decided to do something irresponsible, get my thoughts together. Within five minutes I had my jacket and my back-pack on. I tried to be as quiet as possible as not to disturb my family's' slumber. Before I knew it, I was climbing out the window of my two stories home. Everything was happening so quickly in my head; I barely even noticed I had scratched my knee.

Initially, I took a minute to examine my surroundings and, for the very first time, truly look at them. I felt as if this would be the last time I ever saw my neighbor's cat sleeping on the porch , our freshly cut lawn or our strawberry red front door. So many memories all packed in a heart shaped box.

Meanwhile, the sun was beginning to rise, so I knew I had to hurry. The funny thing is, I had no idea where I was heading to. In spite of this, my level of determination was sky-high and I wouldn't have stopped for the World.

After walking what to me seemed like hundreds of miles, nothing around me seemed familiar anymore. It all felt cold and unknown. Then, I realized it. The pain in my knee was gone, so was the blood and so was the rest of my physical suffering. It was replaced with a greater pain, almost unreal, inhuman, a pain of the heart I had never experienced before. Where was I, where was my mother, where was my mind..

I had died in my sleep and I was now missing my heart shaped box.