The Escape from an Unseen Captor..

Reaching, stretching, screaming, and breaking... All the noise coming from that hole was finally fading away as I neared the peak. My fingers burrowed into the dirt at the top and using every ounce of strength I could gather, I wrenched my body upward. Ignoring the tearing of my jeans and the pain shooting through my arms, I continued on my journey to freedom. I could taste the clean air and almost feel the sun on my face. As I crawled out of the darkness of my own hell, I slid my muddy body through the shadows of the tall tree's surrounding me. I was so close to the warmth... to the light. I could almost taste it. I stretched my arm forward and my fingertips were the first to absorb the heavenly sunlight. The sun's warmth radiated throughout my body. I could see again, I could feel the beat of my heart, and the blood pulsing through my veins. I was alive. Until this moment I had been so sure that I would die in that hole... never being able to find the strength to climb out. Yet, here I am. The awful memories flashed through my mind and I scurried as far from the hole as quickly as my wounded body would allow me.
Once I was completely consumed by the sun, I struggled to my feet while trying to scrap off the excess mud from my clothes. In the distance I could see swollen white clouds, and I only hoped that they would bring rain. I needed now, more than ever, to be washed clean from all of this. I glanced down at my body and thought to myself that, that thought was more literally true than I had initially intended. The silence of the sunny day was ringing in my ears... it was strange, the silence. It had been so long since I had been left alone in my head with my own thoughts. There were no other voices, no screams or crying, no one else telling me I couldn't do it... strange. With that, I started limping toward home, hoping to find them there still. My stretched soul let out a silent prayer that they hadn't given up on me. I needed them now more than ever.
I looked at the ground as I trudged along... catching glimpses of my filthy feet every so often. Over time i noticed the mud beginning to dry and crack on my skin. And eventually it began to flake off. And with watching that... I couldn't help but smile and become overwhelmed with gratitude for that gracious sunlight. It was as if it was chipping away all of my impurities that i had gathered during my time in the darkness.
It was only when the I couldn't feel the sun baking through my clothes anymore that I finally turned my face upward. Those white clouds from before now hovered overhead, replacing my sunlight, and threatening to soak me. I pleaded for their action. I stopped for a moment and waited... nothing. I looked around and was surprised at how far I'd come. I knew home was close, I only had a few more blocks. I picked up the pace, ignoring my limp, and pushing myself forward. I strained my eyes around each bend, waiting for the right one to appear. As I neared the final turn, I felt it. One small fleeting raindrop landed on my arm. I brought my arm to my face and watched as the small raindrop made it's way along my mud-baked arm. Right as it fell from my wrist, I felt another one.. and another. Soon there were too many to count. The clouds were unleashing their grace on me, and I laughed through my tears as I watched the dried mud moisten, and trickle off my skin and clothes. I closed my eyes and felt the raindrops seep into my skin, cleansing me from this painful past. With that, I rounded the last corner and home was finally within my reach. I was home, I was clean, and most importantly... I was alive.