Colours

Rain poured heavily from the darken heavens. Lightning flashed above the many black umbrellas, casting a ghostly ray of light on everyone. Everything looked so somber, something I would call as the colours of death. Thunder shook the muddy and wet grounds that they were standing on. The atmosphere was grave and tense. Diminished sounds of crying and mourning could be heard over the sound of the raindrops falling onto the ground. Even though, the heavy rain took away nearly fifty percent of the visibility, nevertheless, the faces of those crying over their loved ones could be seen distinctively.

I looked around sadly. Death was a part of everyday life. Death must happen in order to keep the world balanced. Life and death must be equal. I saw a black hearse parked by the side of the cemetery and I saw that whoever the poor soul who died was, he or she must have had a big family or either, a famous person. I could hear and see the priest praying together with those who attended the funeral.

Queerly though, I couldn't locate where the coffin was. Unless they had lowered it down into the six-foot deep grave that was already dug, I thought. But that was simply unfeasible because coffins was only lowered at the end of the funeral, after the priest was done with the praying and readings. There must be some logical explanation why the coffin wasn't present. The sight of a coffin-less funeral was almost...macabre...I shivered, not because of the cold but because of the sight of the coffin-less funeral. No matter how macabre it was, I still had to pay respect at a funeral and not have all these improper thoughts. How offensive this would have been if the dead could actually read my thoughts. I laughed silently at the thought of the dead reading thoughts and continued to wonder where could the coffin be.

I began to let my mind wonder. What would it be like to be dead? To be able to leave this world and travel to another? Would it be like...starting a whole new life? Was there really life after death? Was there really eternal life? I slapped myself mentally at my doubt against eternal life. What was I thinking? I'm a Christian, I believe in eternal life and life after death! How could I actually doubt my faith in eternal life and life after death with God in his kingdom! I slapped myself mentally again and reminded myself to never ever doubt my faith again.

Out of the blues, I realized something so consternating that it hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't standing up, neither was I sitting down but I was lying down. I was perplexed and almost inquisitive about why was I lying down on muddy grounds. That was when I realized that I was lying on something soft and with a silky texture. I nearly screamed out loud. I was lying in a coffin lined with the finest silks. A coffin! I could still see the sky because the lid wasn't closed yet. They are burying me alive! The thought crossed my head. I tried to scream but I couldn't and I couldn't even move any part of my body. Then, I felt a sharp and burning white-hot pain in my side and I winced in pain. I was frustrated and angry, who dares to drug me and try to bury me alive! Of all the nerves this psycho had! I tried to scream again but all I could manage was a barely audible whisper. I bet ants couldn't even hear me let alone those fools who actually fell for the thought that I was dead can hear me.

"—may Jenna rest in peace forever," those were the last words from the priest, indicating that it was time for me to be buried. They closed the lid of my coffin and that was the last time I ever saw the world anymore.

I groaned inwardly, I'm going to be buried alive??? I couldn't believe all these. Then I felt a jolt of sadness, at least I knew the feeling to be 'so-call' dead. I'll never see my family or my friends anymore. This was starting to get plain preposterous again. I tried screaming while they began to lower my coffin into the six-foot deep grave. At least this coffin is pretty comfortable, I found myself thinking then I felt annoyed by my obstinate folly. What do you mean by at least this coffin is pretty comfortable! I thought irritably as my coffin hit the muddy bottom of the grave with a violent thud.

They began to shovel mounts of dirt onto my coffin. I could hear every single thud when the dirt hit the lid of my coffin. It's going to be a long wait down here, I thought in frustration, counting every single thud. My sight began to swirl before me, everything became hazy. My head began to throb and then everything went black.

When I woke up. I started to feel panic rising into my chest again. Then I blinked, it was bright and everything was this bright white light. I was introduced to another colour of death.. I was confused, why is it bright now? Shouldn't it be dark like it was six feet under? Then, I slowly registered something in my mind, maybe the whole being-buried-alive-thing was just another absurd dream. While I was busy pondering, a voice called out to me.

"Welcome home Jenna," the voice echoed.

I turned around and saw nothing but bright, white light everywhere. I squinted at tried to search for the direction of the voice. I can move...I realized and then felt faint, I really wanted to know what was going on now.

"I'm just being inquisitive," I voiced up uncertainly then I continued what I wanted to say, "am I dead? Or is this some sort of...dream?"

"It's no dream. You are dead," the voice confirmed the worst on my mind.

"How did that happen to me?" I questioned curiously. "I thought I was drugged and buried alive," I muttered under my breath and then regretted saying that almost immediately.

"You were not drugged neither were you buried alive," the voice said and gave something that I was pretty certain, it was a laugh. "You died in a plane crash two days ago."

I nodded like I was some sort of puppet, my mouth hanging open. I was standing here, listening to my own death story. It felt like some sort of over-dramatic soap opera. "Why did I have to go now? Couldn't you have let me spent more time?" I questioned.

"I hadn't had the change to graduate from secondary school yet. I hadn't had the chance to even know what stands in front for me. Would I have been a successful engineer or would I have been a scavenger on the streets, begging for money? Would I have lived a happy life?" more and more questions were pouring rapidly out of my mouth.

"You would have been what you chose to be. I don't choose your roads for you but you are the one who chose your roads."

"Then why couldn't I have chose the road to be alive? I never chose this road. I thought you said I get to choose," I complained, having the feeling that it was rather unfair.

"I never chose for you to board that plane, did I?" came the voice.

Those words felt like as if a bombshell had dropped out of the blues. I felt a pang of regret, if I never boarded that plane, I would still be alive. I wouldn't have had to go through all these so soon.

It was a long rest. Nothing but black, pitch black and as dark as night. These were the colours of death...

(1331 words)

PS: this was my Commonwealth Essay competition essay...copyrighted!!!