Valley of Dust Read Online Free

gestured to me with his hands to get on the wheelchair. Maybe I was getting an X-ray , I thought, they randomly did those things when I least expected it. This man was tall and had beautiful long hair tied back in a ponytail. He had truly amazing features. His eyes were almond brown, and his hair had a familiar silver color to it. I caught myself staring while he helped me in the chair. I blushed when our eyes met. I was quite embarrassed, but he didn’t show much emotion to what happened. The moment I was in the chair, he began to whisk me away out of my room. The air felt less like bleach and increasingly like the outdoors. For the first time since my hospital stay here, I felt free, and it was exhilarating. It was soothing to leave the cage of my hospital room. I felt free like how I lived in my one-bedroom apartment.
    Before I knew it I was out the door in the garden. Since I had arrived at this hospital, I never knew there was an outdoor garden. It was raining outside, but I didn’t care. I gestured to the mysterious man that I wanted to go outside, and within seconds I could feel the rain on my skin. The fresh water was flowing down my face, which brought a calm to my lonely heart. There in front of us was a giant oak tree. The tree was ancient and looked exquisite. The mysterious man suddenly went in front of me toward the tree, and he said, “Touch the tree, Selene.” I was shocked at first that he knew my name and hesitated, but then I realized my name was on my room and my wristband. “Don’t be shy, Selene. Touch the tree and imagine that you are one with the tree,” he whispered this into my ear with a smooth voice like silk, which made me jump with fright. I wanted to laugh at him for saying such a weird line, but something drove me to obey. I rose from the chair in an instant and slowly went to the tree, touching the bark. At first I could sense nothing, but then I tried harder, and that’s when I perceived it. There was a glow coming from this tree. The tree was full of life, a very long life. It coursed through my body, like the tree and I were one. I could feel the roots and how they enjoyed the rain as much as I did. I was one with the tree, sharing with each other our knowledge. How lively it was , I thought, especially for something that could not communicate . Oh, how I wanted to be that tree. In that moment of thought, something felt wrong. I was surging with power, but I could no longer feel the tree’s life. The tree was no longer with me. I opened my eyes and gasped: right in front of me was a tree that was dead. It was no longer the tree that was once so vibrant with life. I fell back into my chair in despair as tears flowed down my face just like the rain.
    Before I knew it, I was in my room again. In that moment I truly felt like I should be caged. The mysterious man then gently picked me up and whispered smoothly in my ear, “Now be a good girl and forget what happened tonight.” His lip were so close to my ears it sent shivers down my back. He was amazing; I never thought I could be aroused by a man that easily. He had a smooth seductive voice. He reminded me he would come back if I was good and did as I was told. At first my face was blushing, but soon it was seething with anger. How dare that man patronize me, and before I could tell him off, he was gone. I hated being controlled or being told what to do. My body rejected that man once he uttered those words. As I lay down and lowered my blood pressure, I realized something: this was the first time I didn’t mind a man’s company. Well, at least until he was a complete ass. I fell asleep with the thought that maybe there was hope for me to find love and friendship. That night I dreamed of a garden in spring and enjoying the sun with no worries. If only…
    When I awoke, there was an eerie feeling in the air. No one was around, not even my liquid food had been delivered. My stomach growled with a need to consume the mush that they