Beyond the Screaming Arch

Just one slip into unconsciousness.
Beyond a screaming archway drowned in ocean water,
Razor-sharp thorns pierce the skin and draw the blood.

Black blood drifts from the wounds like storm clouds in salt water.
Serpentine tentacles grip, tug, and constrict,
Dragging the world down into the darkest shadows of sleep,
Ito the realm of desolation and despair,
Doom absolute, engulfed by the blue-green deep.

Here we sleep,
Floating,
Lifeless,
Motionless.
Struggle is over.
Everything here is silent,
Cold,
And still.

Yet the stars above continue to shine
Upon that false calm surface.