Level 7

[ɪɴꜰɪɴᴀ-ᴘʜᴏᴇɴɪx]

Read from the bottom paragraph up.

7

lost-at-sea-stranded-lullaby-phoenix-remix.mp3

I fall for what feels like eternity, past the ads which now read nothing. Their screens relay nothing but snowy static, and the windows have no light coming from inside. It’s all dark as I watch the opening in the clouds close, and I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel alone again. I am suddenly hit by the water, and sink a little before I float back up. I pop back up, and it’s mid-day. There’s a few clouds dotting the sky, but the sun is now the ball in the sky. A harp plays me a melancholy tune as I just float there without motivation, and strings accompany the chorus every now and then. Stranded Lullaby by Miracle Musical plays as I just lay there on the surface of the waves, my flame dead and cold. I accept this endless torment, for it is all I deserve after what I’ve done. I’m alone again, and that’s all that I have.

6

My body pushes past the clouds, and I slow my pace by halting my momentum. Gravity is now under my feet rather than behind me, and I can see a lone figure standing near the glistening waves. I walk over, and it’s Katie! She’s in her usual blue-ish white gown / dress / whatever the fuck it is, and facing away from me. I call her name gently, and she turns around, offering a sweet but somber smile. She opens her arms in an inviting embrace, and I rush over to hug her. However, before I can even do that, I’m pulled back by something. The sand itself is pulling me away like a treadmill of small particles. The faster I run, the faster the sand pulls me away. The moment I jump over it, gravity reverts back to its original position. Behind me.

5

I am submerged, and then pulled back up by something. I am pulled back up into the city, and it looks normal again, with no signs of what happened earlier. I’m pulled higher, and the clouds begin to part, revealing an absolutely bewildering scene! It’s a sunset over a beach, and it’s sideways. In the position I’m in, it should be a smooth landing, but why is it here?

4

I gasp for breath as I gaze up, seeing the surface of the water above me. I swim up, assuming that I’m back at stage 1. But no, I’m somewhere else. Above me, towers and skyscrapers loom over me with rounded windows and advertisements blocking most people from looking outside. Hovering holograms float around the city, advertising things similar to the buildings. There are no streets or sidewalks, only the ocean. I climb up to one of the windows, and there’s a person there, working. Their bed seems barely used, and they have no door or exit. They have bags under their eyes, but they seem determined. I keep climbing until I reach the top of one of the buildings, and stare into the city below. Thousands of people are working tirelessly, with the false promise of escape in the far future. But there is no escape for these people and it’s sad. I sit on the edge of the building, watching them for a little longer before they all turn to face me simultaneously. The ads on the towers switch to static, and then relay messages. “SHE [died] beCAUSE of U” one of them reads. “You ARE Alone!!” Another ad relays to me. “Jump.” One simply reads. I gaze at the ad underneath my building, and it has an arrow pointing down towards the water. “NoBODY will -EVER- <3 you!!” …I do it. I close my eyes on my way down, seeing the ads and lights brush past me through my eyelids because of how bright they are. I can only think of Katie, and how I’m alone now. I hit the water once more.

3

The moment I open the doors to the school, all of my friends are standing there, staring into my soul with no life in their eyes. They smile sweetly and beckon me forth. “We have something to tell you, Phoenix!” They all say in unison. I approach until I feel it. They all are suddenly surrounding me like birds around a piece of bread, and the cacophony of despair ensues. “We don’t care about you anymore.” “You’ll never find love” “You’re alone” “Stop being so clingy” “You’re annoying us” “We don’t need you” “We’re leaving you once graduation happens” “Gilpin never cared about you” “Worthless!” I curl up into a ball, covering my ears as they scream these phrases over one another, still smiling like before. The room darkens, and I can see their legs morph into marble pillars, and rise into the air like mystical beings. They tower over me, telling me how broken and useless I am to them. I know they’re not my real friends, but their words still hurt my heart. Suddenly, I fell into the ground.

2

I awaken in an empty street. It looks exactly like my town, but there’s nobody here. No cars are parked nor moving, no distant talking or mowing of lawns, nothing. But, I can hear distant cars over on Main Street. I walk along the sidewalk, even though I wouldn’t get in trouble for walking in the street now. It just feels right, you know? I approach the street further, and the sound is getting closer. Still, no signs of life up ahead. I reach Main Street, but no cars are moving. I can hear people talking, but I can’t see anyone, or even understand what those voices are saying. The traffic lights are working as usual, but there’s nobody else here to follow their orders. I hear the sounds of shop doors opening and closing, bells jingling as people walk in, but no shops are even open. I head towards my high school, assuming that my friends are there since it’s time.

1

I lay on the water’s surface, alone this time. Katie is gone. Jayce is gone. I’m alone. The only thing I have left is Heaven’s frosty glow cast upon my weary eyes, my withered frame, and my cold skin. But, I need to reach it somehow. That feeling I got when I danced with Katie, I must tap into it! After a few hours of trying, I finally feel the sparks and stardust lifting me! It took so long, but I’m finally flying! I’m finally doing it! I hover up, leaving the endless ocean behind as I make my way towards that white ball in the night sky… It seems so alone here, just being the only one in the air… But I don’t need them! I can do this myself! I can feel the effects of the starlight and outer atmosphere now, and it’s… So cold…