Entry #2: The Garden and the Gallows

It was as if God himself had condemned it to burn. It was my own personal Eden, until my darkness caught up to me.

I was walking through a wide field in my hometown. The bright sun was shining on me and making the grass greener, the roses were vibrant and the sky was pure blue and cloudless. It was a wonderful day. It reminded me of a girl I liked at the time. The bright sun reminded me of her beautiful eyes that could pierce the darkness of my soul with her light. The vibrant green grass was her colourful image. Even though she was partial to darker colours, like me, she was always a colour-filled canvas of art to me. As I was walking I noticed a rabbit running through the grass. The rabbit was so small that the grass seemed to overwhelm it. I decided to chase after it, in some way, playing with it. The rabbit kept looking back at me as if trying to stop me from giving up the pursuit. I couldn't stop laughing as I followed it into a garden-like field full of various types of flowers. As I searched the field I saw the rabbit lying on its side in a patch of bluebells. It was dying.

I didn't even question how this happened, I only knelt down beside it and stroked it gently, hoping it felt comfort in its last few moments. As it's tiny belly raised and drew in breath for the final time, I felt a swell of sadness overcome me, after standing up from the dead rabbit, but felt worse when I turned around. Behind me, the green field was replaced with a burning, ashen wasteland. All the plants were dead and dying and the grass had turned from the inviting green to a deathly black. I ran around the fire trying to get home but it spread across and my only way home way through it.

I ran as fast as I could through the fire and flames, covering my face from the ashes in the air and being careful of which direction I pursued. Eventually I reached the centre of the field and scanned the terrain for my escape. To my right I saw something that nobody should have to see. It was a gallows with three people suspended from ropes. One was a boy in grey jogging pants and a red t shirt. The one next to him was a large adult man in a full black suit. The last one was a woman in a blue shirt with purple dyed hair. I recognised them all immediately but refused to believe it, until I walked around and saw their faces. My brother, my dad and the girl I liked. All lined next to each other, hanging lifeless from the gallows, surrounded by a ring of fire. I dropped to my knees with tears streaming down my eyes and screamed at the sight but no sound left my throat. My pillow was damp, along with my eyes, as I woke up in my room.