ad astra per aspera

My wounds sting. I feel them all over my torso and arms and they run down my legs and reach for my face. I feel the blood collecting around them, drying in thin layers. My lips are cracked and my feet are wet. The floor of the open ballroom is covered in water from the recent storm. I take a deep breath, the smell of salty seaside water filling up my lungs. When I exhale I feel something bump into my heel. I ignore it, walking forwards towards the broken window. The shards of glass enter my foot, causing more blood to pour out of my body. The blood stains the clear water red. I climb onto the window ledge and over the glass. My white dress catches on a large shard and I pull it hard enough for the fabric to rip. I remove my veil from my head, discarding it on the sand of the beach. The smell of wet leaves floats around me, dancing near my face. I walk forwards, sand sticking to my bare feet. I feel the sun shine down on me and I take off running, holding the bottom of my dress up. A smile makes its way onto my face as I stop in front of the water. I take in another deep breath before spinning around and taking a deep bow. My smile widens as I allow myself to fall back into the ocean and I feel myself falling deeper into the depths of the water. I feel free.