I wander through the overgrown downtown, feeling the loneliness and the darkness in my bones. The moon engulfs the ponds of water and the reflections of the buildings, creating a surreal and haunting landscape. I look for a path, a way out, a sign of hope. But I find none, only decay and ruin, only silence and despair.
I am a stranger in a place that I once used to call home, a place that I once used to love, a place that I once used to belong. But I don't anymore, I don't fit in, I don't matter. I have overstayed my welcome, and now I must leave. But where do I go, what do I do, who do I become? I don't know, I don't care, I don't feel. I just walk, and walk, and walk.
I walk until I can't walk anymore, until I collapse on the ground, exhausted and defeated. I lie there, on the cold and wet pavement, feeling the pain and the sorrow in my heart. The moon mocks me with its brightness, the stars taunt me with their beauty. The night laughs at me with its cruelty, the world hates me with its indifference. I continue to cry, until I have no tears left. I feel a cold hand touch my shoulder, and I flinch. I look up, and I see a face that I recognize, a face that I love, a face that I miss.
She smiles at me, and she hugs me. She tells me that she is sorry, that she is proud of me, that she loves me. She tells me that she is here to take me home, to take me to a better place. She tells me that I have suffered enough, that I have earned my peace, that I have fulfilled my purpose. She tells me to close my eyes, and to trust her. She tells me to let go, and to follow her. She tells me to be happy, and to smile.
I do as she says, and I feel a warmth in my chest, a light in my head, a joy in my soul. I feel a lift in my body, a release in my mind, a freedom in my spirit. I feel a love in my heart, a love that fills me, a love that heals me.
I open my eyes, and I see a new world, a world of beauty and harmony, a world of grace and glory. I see the sun shining brightly, the sky sparkling with stars, the earth blooming with flowers. I see the angels singing sweetly, the saints smiling kindly, the Lord welcoming warmly.
I see her holding my hand, and she leads me to the gates. She tells me that this is my home now, that this is where I belong now, that this is where I will be happy now.
She tells me that this is the end of my story.
And it is a good one.
