A Second Chance
She runs along a corridor, pursued by endless thoughts,
Collapses in the hallway, as her energy is lost;
With leery eyes, she peers around, her breath in labored flow,
Her pulse is racing, mind's a whirl … anticipation grows.
She knows not how it happened, but the hall has boxed her in,
No path to show from where she'd come, nor exit t'ward the end;
She wheels about in terror, scans the cage in which she's bound,
A claustrophobic panic keeps her anchored to the ground.
An eerie silence locks her in this nightmare she has bred,
Till suddenly a clang of heaving metal fills her head;
The floor proceeds to vibrate, and a grating sound begins,
As inch by inch, the walls advance, from outside forces, in!
She tries to gather wits about, and focuses her mind,
The walls are closing in on her, she hasn't got much time!
So frantically, she rights herself, reality transforms,
As through a daze, her visions clears, two doors begin to form.
As apprehension fills her mind … perplexed … in dire straights,
She races to the nearest exit, questioning her fate;
Adorned by lavish, golden frame, the door is pristine white,
Ornately carved, and welcoming, it brings upon delight.
She reaches for the handle, cool and delicate to touch,
She gives a turn but then it stops, she re-adjusts her clutch;
A second turn, a third, a fourth, resistance meets her grasp,
She yanks with all the strength she can, but cannot turn the clasp!
Her momentary gladness turns to panic once again,
As walls behind her brush her back, advancing from within;
She pounds upon the stubborn door, until she can no more,
And cries in desperation as she's forced along the floor.
With only moments left, she rushes t'ward her sole escape,
A crimson door with blackish hue, became her final fate;
Her trembling hand moved forward, trepidation filled her soul,
To stay would surely crush her, but she feared the daunting door.
She grabbed the heavy lever, felt the scorching heat it packed,
The wall propelled her forward, till there was no turning back;
She turned the knob with little effort, as the door swung wide,
She screamed at what was there before her, on the other side!
An emptiness, oblivion … a darkness never known,
No floor, no ceiling, putrid heat … just cries and empty moans!
She tried to look beyond the dark and uttered weakly, "No …."
As sounds of wails and howling grew from fires deep below.
She turned to flee, but as she did, the wall was simply "there" …
Her foot slipped off the final ground, and out into the air;
She spiraled down into the darkness, twisting as she yelled,
Lost focus of the little door, from which she'd been propelled.
Her screams were intermingled with the howls of unknown source,
Her mind was torn, as sanity began to lose it's course;
She spun and twirled and twisted as the blackness filled the night,
Until a painful, heavy thud awoke her from her fright.
She felt the carpet there beneath her, smiled and shook her head,
As slowly it began to dawn … she just fell out of bed!