Chereads / To Sleep In The Sea Of Time / Chapter 2 - Sustenance

Chapter 2 - Sustenance

I felt weightless... I felt like the very essence of me was being drawn out of the shell that it resided in.

As if gravity has turned upside down and I was falling upwards.

Time was nonexistent as it felt like an eternity was compressed into a second.

The pain didn't come right away but it eventually came.

Like a blender I felt myself being torn to shreds.

Not my limbs I didn't feel them anymore.

It was me.

The whole of me being shredded and pressed like a smoothie.

I don't know how long this lasted I just wanted it to stop.

Pain, pain and more pain but no matter how much I was shredded or how hard I was pressed I would never shred or be pressed it was a contradictory sensation.

I wanted it to end but not wanting to fully give up on whatever bit of life I presumed I had.

That quickly went away.

I wanted to die, the pain wouldn't stop and what felt like eternity quite literally became eternity.

I lost my mind and regained my sanity millions of times.

I counted until the ever increasing pain sent me into despair just to do it again and again.

I didn't know how I was still alive.

I thought about it at times.

Questioning my existence.

Was I ever Otis or was I always in this prison.

And then it stopped.

It felt like I was waking up from the dead my body feeling heavy and unresponsive.

I tried to move a finger, but it was unresponsive.

The relief of escaping what I considered hell washed over me and I lost consciousness finally.

Waking up again I had no sense of time, trying to breath was impossible.

I was still in shock trying to move but I had no body.

I tried to move but I quickly go under again..

Again, I wake but this time it is different it feels like the blanket around me is tightening.

I try and move but it doesn't work.

I try and take in a breath and it doesn't work.

I don't know how I am alive, but I struggle to stay conscience long enough to make sense of my surroundings I fail miserably and fall comatose.

Awakening again I see a light along with the tightening of the space around me, I start to panic.

With no motor control skills I stare at the light as the space around me convulses and tightens releasing me slowly.

Drawing me closer to the light.

I feel like I have energy for the first time, but I know that won't last.

Closer and closer to the light I pray it hurries as I want this whole experience to be behind me begging to whatever would listen to my thoughts.

I fall back into my sleep wishing someone, anyone can help me.

When I awaken I am not far from the light I attempt to wiggle my way to it and surprisingly my body responds.

My elation could not be contained, and I expressed it by vigorously wiggling myself towards the light.

When I draw near, I feel gravity take hold of me as I am expelled from the darkness into the light and immediately hit the hard ground headfirst drawing in a deep gasp of air.

It feels like it is my first breath. I didn't know how right I was.

I slip back into my slumber.

As I awaken again for the unknown amount of time I am greeted with the sight of red grass and a purple sky.

With my head pressed into the ground I attempt to get up, but I have no hands instead a pair of hooves the size of a grown man's hand is what came into view.

I panic.

Imagine waking up to find stump's instead of hands.

Especially after going through the emotional, physical, and mental roller coaster I have been on for what was longer than I thought possible.

I start to scream but no voice comes out only a long wail that sounds like a young woman wheezing.

'No' I was screaming internally.

I shut my eyes afraid of what I will be seeing.

I fall to the ground to avoid having to confirm the body that I was in.

I hear a whine of a horse, but it wasn't.

It was more baritone than that almost like a lion was neighing at me.

I felt a nudge and a snort of air against my back.

I immediately bolt but meet the ground again.

My back hooves ran into my middle hooves.

That is right 'MIDDLE HOOVES'.

I open my eyes and am greeted by a sight that I will never forget.

It was a muscular horse sitting at five feet high with three eyes and six legs.

The body was extra-long to accommodate the legs.

The color of the horse was a deep magenta 'why was everything a different color?'.

I was upset for my lack of a better question for a moment.

Next to this majestic beast was another who was panting as it walked slowly, looking like it had run a distance.

My body felt weak beyond belief and I was scared but I had to know so I just did it I looked around and assessed the situation telling myself 'this could all be explained.'

We were in a clearing with high red grass to the left of me about a quarter of a mile away and to my right double the distance was a river.

I immediately noticed that I could turn my head around a full one hundred and eighty degrees because my neck was so long.

I wish I hadn't what I caught site of made me choke on the very little saliva I had.

I was a miniature version of this animal in front of me.

What is this? Why didn't I just die?

The tired beast was grazing, It did this for a short time before coming to stand over me along with the monstrosity of a horse.

It was the same creature but more feminine and slimmer.

This whole time I was staring at them both wondering what will happen to me.

The female situated right above me with what looked like an utter underneath, her middle legs lowered.

With no control over my motor skills, I immediately crane my neck and begin to nurse.

Disgust was all I could feel but after god knows how long I finally have some sustenance.