I’m stuck in the middle.
Caught between young child
And adult facing the “real world”.
I’m stranded in a skiff on the vast ocean.
I have not a map nor compass to show me the way.
I don’t even have the help of the sun;
It’s lost behind the dismal clouds that always hover over me.
I’m losing all hope. I’ll never find my way.

I hear a song.
It’s haunting, but I can’t help but listen.
The melody echoed inside my head.
Before my mind could make any sense of it, I followed the song.
Maybe it will help me find my way, help find who I am.
Something doesn’t feel right though.
Something sensed this song as a work of evil.
But good conscience is no match for this entrancing song.

My mind argues against it, but my hands grip the oars,
Rowing the boat, obeying the command.
What would normally be strenuous work feels like nothing.
Mind and body became disconnected.
Something else has taken control.
Some other force is driving me somewhere,
But I don’t know where.
I’ve surrendered myself to this force, and I go where it pleases.

I peered into the distance,
And I saw something dark and hazy.
As I approached it, it transformed into an island of vivid color.
I thought it to be a mirage,
But as I came closer, I believed it to be real.
The palm trees and flowers were myriad colors.
I reached the shore and stepped onto the warm sand, feeling every grain between my toes.
Everything was rich and lively except for the dismal clouds still hovering overhead.

I’m not alone.
I again hear that entrancing song.
It was coming from inside the jungle. It ensnared me.
The melody weakened my ability to fight against it.
My soul froze listening to this song,
But I still felt a sense of comfort.
This comfort seemed somewhat false,
However, I once again surrendered.

I was led into an oasis; a lagoon at the bottom of a cascading waterfall.
I stood at the edge and gazed into the shady water.
I saw glowing figures swimming in the depths.
As they surfaced, I could see them more clearly.
They looked breathtakingly beautiful and ghastly.
They had sharp, angular faces and long entangling hair.
Their eyes were piercing and captivated me.
They reached their slender, webbed hands out to me and snatched my hand.