The mists surround me, and nothing is clear

Carefully placing one foot in front of the other

Slowly I make my way forward in this strange place

Though forward to where, I do not know

How I came to be here,

I do not remember

But here I am, alone...and afraid

I hear the sounds of the creatures of this place

But they are muted, as if from far away

I see movement all around me

But one shadow just blends into another

I feel as if I am being watched

And yet I see no one, I see no thing

I continue on, drawn to some unknown destination

The pull is strong, and I succumb to it

But am I being pulled to my destruction

Or perhaps, to my salvation...I cannot say

I know only that I must arrive soon

The sense of urgency overshadows all else

What awaits me, I can only imagine

My mind runs rampant with the possibilities

But I know not what I shall find

Only that I must find it

Every fiber of my being cries out in desperation

Never have I felt such a need

But a need for what...for whom?

The mists seem to dissipate

And I see the outline of a form

I cannot discern any features, though it's a man surely

He remains cloaked in the anonymity of the mists

And yet I know I have reached my destination

My heart almost leaps from my chest

In excitement, in fear...in affinity

I move towards him as if in a dream

He awaits me, arms outstretched

As our hands touch I feel a completeness

The kind only dreamt of in one's wildest fantasies

I take a step closer, and his arms engulf me

And I am at peace, I am safe...I am home

And I want only to stay here in this haven forever

And as I bask in the glow of contentment and love

I am jarred by a loud, discordant noise

And as I struggle to hold on to my soulmate

The sound of the alarm drags me inexorably

Fighting against it with every ounce of my being

Back into wakefulness, back into reality

And as I rise to greet the day

I want nothing more that that it be night time again

So that once more I may return to my destiny

To the other half of my soul

To my love, who exists only in my dreams

Terri Lyn Stanfield