Chapter 2: Resurrection

 

Eva had been stuck in her mind for a very long time, but time had become meaningless. She was only vaguely aware that noise was happening above her. A metal sound rang out consistently, almost in a pattern.

Eva was made more aware of her surroundings after a loud crash hit the top of the coffin lid. She realized that meant that the coffin wasn’t covered by dirt.

Her bones felt like steel as Eva attempted to lift her hands to the lid. Sighing from weakness, Eva attempted to push the top of the coffin.

Her first attempt was futile, as she could barely move her body at all. Thoughts of defeat danced around her mind, she wondered if it was even possible to be escape in her fragile state.

She placed her arms to her side. But inside, a storm was raging. She was sick of being stuck in a box. She was sick of existing in darkness. She was sick of the smell of death. She was sick of being alone. She was sick of being helpless.

She took this rage, and pushed with all four of her limbs as hard as she physically could. The lid creaked and slide aside as Eva shoved. She couldn’t push the lid completely off, no matter how hard she shoved.

Eva decided it was a good idea to try and see what was around her, as it might have to do with why she couldn’t push the entire lid off.

Moving to the side of the coffin where the lid opening began, she lifted it and saw dirt surrounding her. She was buried in a grave, but someone had removed the dirt from it. The reason she couldn’t slide the lid off was because the wall of earth stopped her from doing so. She had automatically assumed that she was above ground, but that wasn’t the case.

Eva figured it was possible to climb out through the side, but if she attempted that, there was a chance she could get crushed by the lid.

She decided it was worth it to try and escape. She needed to be anywhere but there. Eva lifted the side of the lid with one arm and shoved the other arm through the opening. Her grip loosened and the lid pressed down on her arm roughly. Surprisingly, it felt heavy, but she felt no pain from it.

Eva couldn’t comprehend why the lid didn’t hurt her, all she cared about was getting out of the coffin she had been stuck in for so long.

She shoved more of her arm out of the gap while holding the lid, then shoved her shoulder and head out. Eva felt snow on her cheeks. It was snowing. She had forgotten what snow felt like on her skin.

Eva pushed the remaining parts of her body through the slit of the lid, she knew the weight should have injured her, but she didn’t care.The only thought in her mind was of escape.

Eva found herself on top of the coffin, she stood up and lifted herself out of the grave, which was buried four feet deep. Her body seemed light, lighter than it had ever been.

She grasped to the ground until she was free from the dirt that had imprisoned her. She remained on the ground for a second before rising to her feet.

Eva felt dizzy and confused. She feared looking behind her, as if looking at the grave made her nightmare real. 

She did look back, hesitantly. The environment around her was an unkempt and seemingly abandoned graveyard. The headstone that stood above her grave was cracked and lopsided. 

 

Eva looked at her body, which was very pale and thin. She saw a chunk of hair in the corner of her eye, and it was a dull green.

Eva felt tears in her eyes and a sob forming inside of her. She didn’t understand. She hadn’t understood anything for a very long time.

She cried over her own decrepit grave as the snow fell around her, tears and snow mixing together.

She saw a road to the back of the cemetery leading out of the woods. In that moment, she decided that there were two choices. One choice was to stay there, sobbing until she died and never understanding what was happening to her. The second was to stop crying, take the road to wherever it may lead her and put her tomb behind her.

Eva wiped the tears and snow off of her face and started walking towards the road. Her strides were more like stumbling, as if her legs had not been used in a very long time.