Blinking heavy sleep from my eyes, I found myself gazing dreamily into a deep blue canvas while lying on my soft white cloud, feeling its cool fluffy fingers tickle my arms.
I sigh with content as a smile grew on my lips, letting the cloud take me far away from the demons that haunted me; far from the devils that abused me;
And far from that dark, treacherous place.
Slowly the desperate cries of police sirens fade to nothing as I float out of reach of the hundred claws stretching to the sky, banshees screaming for my fur and flesh, a hundred mouths aching to taste me.
The hazed city growing smaller at my back, the cloud takes me far away from the monsters that tortured me; far from the temptation that broke me;
And far from that dark, treacherous place.
Breathing my own little cloud over lightly-frosted lips, I cautiously rise to my feet, my generous vessel crunching underfoot as I take my first step onto the vast field of snow.
Light grey clouds above begin to sprinkle glistening stars of ice to welcome my arrival, softening the crisp pawprints left behind. I tighten my woollen scarf and hold out my eager paws, gently cradling a white promise of sheer delight; a promise of heartfelt relief;
And a promise of a bright, heavenly place.
Blue eyes are soon greeted by tall benevolent spruces, standing guard at the foot of an inviting forest, fresh snow hugging their outstretched arms as it did my whiskers. I oblige them and step inside, lightly scratching the itches in their trunks as I pass.
A whisper beckons the forest's citizens to sway and lean, their branches turning to guide me to the peace I have yearned for; to the solidarity I have begged for;
And to the bright, heavenly place.
Wet nose wrinkling with a blissful aroma, I taste the intoxicating forest air as my mind begins to wander, purrs resonating throughout my personal haven. Losing myself in this divine sanctuary I come to a rocky mound of earth, looming over me and blocking my view of a soft orange light licking the sky above.
Chuckling at the hill's simple challenge, I playfully scamper up without a second thought, hopping from stone to stone like a rambunctious little kitten. My heart starts to flutter as I pass over the peak of my paradise; pass over the pinnacle of my salvation;
And find myself gazing into that dark, treacherous place.
With horrified alarm I turn to run, run as fast and far away as my legs would allow me to go, but I could already feel the fur on my back stand on end, ears twitching with morbid fear as the terrible presence sunk its poisonous fangs into my neck, pinning my fragile body to the harsh icy ground.
I cried in blinding agony as I felt it tear my fur and claw into my back, twisting bloody flesh with sick delight as it breathed in my scent, savouring it, snickering with sadistic pleasure as it grabbed my tail, savagely yanking and filling my body with pain; filling my body with dread;
And pulled me deeper towards that dark, treacherous place.
My screams pierce silence as I snap upright, chest heaving painfully as my frightened eyes scanned the room, finding myself back home from my nightmare. Cold emotion quickly rises up from below and I curl into a ball, pressing my face into my arms as a whimper escapes from my lips.
Tail wrapping defensively around my shrivelled form I cry to myself, a hot tear streaming down and falling off the tip of my whisker, a prelude of many more to come. As I sob in anguish I curse myself for being so weak; curse myself for being so frail;
And curse myself for never escaping that dark, treacherous place.
