The People I Met In...

Penned before I was inspired by-> Link

"Don't eat mud!"

I could almost hear Ma's raspy voice that had been lost to us over two decades ago.

The mud there used to be smooth brick red in color. I was never the one to eat it. I was never the one in love with everything that grew from it. As I looked at the dark coffee brown lumpy mess resting in my palm, I realized I had never tasted mud. Ever. If I had to sift through it to plant a sapling or search for treasure, I would obsess over washing my hands clean later.

It was dirt to me; the mud. Sticking to my hands. Dirt with live organisms that I could not see. Wanting... waiting... to enter my blood stream.

"Don't make me come after ya." I heard her raspy voice again. A little clearer.

A small smile danced on my lips.

A hand pressed on my shoulder. Lightly. Bringing me back to my hazy present.

I extended my hand and turned it around. The lumpy toffee colored mess fell from my palm.

Almost on cue, it started raining. Hard.

I felt a tug on my shoulder as I watched the rain wash away the traces of brown from my hand.

I felt a tug at my heart as I saw the rain water mix in with the earth and trickle over the smooth black cover. 

Water. Earth. And floating tufts of green grass in the rising water.

I should not wait and watch. There was nothing but mud here.

My vision of heaven had always been a place filled with crystal clear water.

Earth; dark brown with three inches tall grass growing in it.

Crystal clear water, white in color, clear like glass; everywhere. Water that was just deep enough to cover the three inch tall grass. Deep enough for me to roll in, splash around and get wet, but never dirty.

The smell of wet mud ever present.

Clear skies above.

Earth, green grass and clear water; as far as the eye could see.

I could spend hours in this place inside my head.

But now the sky was dark gray.

There was thunder. And rain.

The fast rising water was murky in color. Muddy.

The smell of wet mud was not assaulting my senses like before.

I get a sense of myself standing. Looking heavenwards.

I could not taste a thing. I could not feel a thing.

Water level rising fast. Earth being mixed in along with the water.

Water. Earth. And floating tufts of green grass in the rising water...

Engulfing me...

Six feet under screams...