The Gilded Cage
…
I knew I was dreaming because somehow, I was looking at my twenty-two-year-old self.
Waves crashed against the rocks. The sky was pitch black, dotted only with scattered stars.
At the edge of the cliff stood the younger version of me, wearing a thin dress that billowed in the wind like the outstretched wings of a seagull.
She lifted her head and smiled at me, warm and gentle.
"You’re here."
I stepped closer, staring at her bright, youthful face.
Without realizing it, tears had already begun streaming down mine.
"I'm sorry, I let you down."