by Kate McGee
She found a part of herself
Long since departed
Never thought to be seen again
That part of her, locked away
Sealed up behind a dense forest
And under a murky lake
Behind layers of brick walls
Wrapped in iron clad chains
And caked in mud
With a bag over her head
Mouth ankles and wrists bound
Long forgotten
Only a tiny ember of hope left within her
Undetectable
More than a decade had passed
With unchanging tides
At long last the tides began to change
A series of fortunate events occurred
She found her bounds cut
Slowly she removed the bag from her head
Disoriented and confused
Where was she?
She took a look around, terrified
But something had cut her bindings
Something gave her the freedom to move again
What was it?
Her curious cat like nature kicked in
Looking around a scary sight unfolded
On all sides a frightening foreboding fortress
Built around her
How was she to escape this?
Pondering and pacing something appeared
Tools? How odd
With a hum and a slight smile she grabbed a tool
Determined
Choosing a wall she tore down the layers that encased her in
Soon the wall came crumbling down
Behind it a wall of water rushed in
Frightened and worried
She began to swim with all her might
She swam
And swam
And swam
Her lungs began to fill with water
Now she had come this far
There’s no giving up now
At last she came to the surface
Taking in big breaths the girl looked around
She was in some sort of lake
In front of her lie a thick forest
Swimming to shore she looked at the imposing woods
It was eerily quiet
Not a single chirp, hoot or howl
Nor a cricket song
She wasn’t giving up
Oh no, she was determined
Determined to know what happened to her
So she started the trek through the forest in front of her
The further she walked the less scary it seemed
It didn’t seem so close in there
Walking further the sweet sounds of birds appeared
More and more sunlight came through the canopy
A Mirkwood forest this was no more
A beautiful woodland bloomed around her
Soon she came across a meadow
Full of wildflowers and a babbling brook
Trees covered in ivy and wisteria
The smell of honeysuckle in the air
It was a stunning and beautiful sight
Her green eyes once dull like a dying leaf
Now vibrant like that of an emerald
And a smile so true like that of a child
Emerged on her face
So long since she has seen such beauty
Still a question remain
Who or what freed her?
Walking along the treeline
Admiring the view around her
She eventually came across her answer
There next to the woods and the meadow
She saw what saved her
The best friend who always felt like her other half
Like two peas in a pod
A reunion that was long overdue
The best friend who is like a sister
Once moved away but coming back home
With a baby attached
New friends with shared interests
Nerds and animal lovers
Who know how to chill and live in comfortable silence
Reentering the world of dating
Some men who caught her attention
A few have stood out
Making her feel pretty
What will come of those that have stood out?
Only time will tell
A new job she knows she will be good at
Listening to others about what troubles them
A job that puts her well being first
New possibilities of a happier life
Hoping they will come to pass
Putting herself first
Realizing she can be happy despite her circumstances
Having the tools to get herself out
Out of the fortress and lakes
And a support system, there for her
Finally, at long last
She found that lost part of herself
A part never thought to be seen again
More than a decade since she’s seen her
This girl who loves to laugh
Go on adventures
Wants to date
And wear pretty things
Dresses were always her favorite
And shoes of course
Loves herself despite her flaws
And she does have many
Way more than she had more than a decade ago
That’s okay though
She accepts who she is
She is still afraid
She has courage and strength
Just like her brother always said she had
She is excited for what her future holds
She broke free
She is free
She is me.