I wonder, when you sleep, is that how death is?

Your eyes are closed shut and you're just laying there. All you see is darkness. You can't move- paralyzed. There will be no thoughts running through your head. No dreams. So when are you going to wake up?

Just black; nothing else.

These thoughts popped into my head when I was about 8 years old, old enough to know what death is.

I also thought, maybe after many many years of just seeing black, you will see the sun come up like it always does in the morning. Except it's not the bright orange that warms up the sky, it's dim. And instead of slowly passing over you, the sun will walk next to you and you'll be able to see both sides. I'm not sure how to describe what I imagined when I was a kid, but hopefully, you get the idea. I was just a kid though, right?

These thoughts did scare me a bit, but not as much as the image I saw in my head leading to this.

I always pictured myself in a coffin being carried by my family. That's what scared me. Me in a coffin.

"Open your eyes"

My eyes shot wide open.

Black. Everything around me was pitch black. No light. No sunrise.

I started to panic, feeling my palms become sweaty and my heart faster. Where am I? I looked around to find something, anything. But there is- there's just darkness. Completely surrounding me.

"Where the hell am I", I whispered, scared to wake up the darkness.

My heart was the only thing I could hear, pounding harder than it ever has before. The stiff bed I was laying in didn't make me feel better.

Beads of sweat fell from my forehead with the smell of fear, anxiety, and nerves. It fell onto the bed with a soft thud. It sounded almost like... wood. 

Unable to move, I rapidly moved my pupils adjusting to the light. I looked to the right, wood. I looked at the other direction, wood. I was laying inside of a- a coffin. I was laying inside Death's hand. I could do nothing, but lay here and panic.

I tried so hard to move, but the wood had a death grip on me, seems to keep me from something.

"What the hell is this?!", I screamed, my sweat coming faster and my breath becoming more ragid. Just- just move your arms, please! Tears spilled from my eyes and fell onto the wood softly. I couldn't die like this, not like this!

My heart was slowing down, but my panic was speeding up. I don't even remember coming here. Where am I? Why am I here?

With my eyes still going ballistic I saw something move to my right. Something familiar, yet still foreign. I looked in that direction.Someone lifted my arm out and onto the edge of the coffin, someone cold and soothing.

My back was being pushed and forced to sit up. With my heart attempting to beat fast, I saw a door with light underneath the crack. My lips parted in anticipation. Anticipation for freedom; anticipation to be alive.

I was pushed off the coffin and onto the floor. I used my hands to catch myself and found my limbs able to work again.

I looked back to the person who helped me, but all I could see was flowing black hair complimenting the slender and pale fingers along the sides of their body. 

I turned back around and ran towards the door and braced myself for the other side of this place.

I turned the knob and a flash of light hit my face. I clenched my eyes shut and fell onto the hard floor, now seeming like concrete. The cool air wifted under my shirt and through my hair. I opened my eyes and adjusted to the light. My eyes were met with grey skies and falling rain.

Where am I?