Just Another Tuesday

With one last exhale,
he steps from his doorstep
Into the inky blackness outside.

His body begins to rise
Gently through the warm, scentless air,
Drifting upwards,
Away from the world below.

He had always felt
That his front door led to the end of the world.

He was right.

Crossing his feet together,
Folding his arms across his chest,
He closes his eyes
And allows himself to drift.

Within moments
He has reached the atmosphere.
He stops rising.
There, suspended above the Earth,
He hovers in silence.

Invisible currents tug gently at his body
As he floats in orbit
Above the glowing world below.

For the first time in years
There is serenity within him.

Warmth.
Comfort.
No pain.
No stress.
No sadness.
Only relief.

The sunlight reflecting from the Earth
Bathes him in its fading warmth.
But it does not last.
Something catches him.

A violent unseen force
Tears him from the light
And drags him behind the Earth.
Darkness surrounds him.

The warmth disappears.

Cold enters his body
And anxiety floods his mind.
Now there is nothing.

No stars.
No light.
Only darkness.
And he begins to fall.

Down through the blackness,
Back towards the world
He had tried to leave.

He enters the atmosphere
Like a human missile.
There is no heat.

Only freezing air,
Ice and darkness
Blinding him as he falls.

Below him,
His rooftop grows larger.
Closer.
Closer.
He braces for impact.

Then,
His eyes open.
He is standing inside his home.
His hand is resting
Upon the front doorknob.

He takes one last breath.
And prepares to leave.