Into the darkness I enter.
The black seats lie silently in wait.
Compulsively reaching within the depths of my bag, I take hold of the pencil.
It is sharp, ready to engage the enemy.
The angry desktop is laid horizontal, waiting and eager to join the ambush.
Beep.
A wristwatch resounds the eerie announcement: eleven o’clock.
The time has come.
There, I see them. Approaching in the distance.
My comrades plunge one by one into the mêlée.
The inevitable torment spreads to them all.
One of the beasts has reached me.
The vile leech begins its solemn task.
Unable to resist, I give way to the attack.
My synapses slow. My energy is being drained.
I endure their continual beating, my will diminishing.
Thud.
I hear it. The sound of my resolve falling to the ground.
As I slump back in defeat, the battlefield comes into view.
I am not the first to drop. Others can be seen crying out in their silent pain.
Are there any survivors? The opponent’s destruction cannot be total…
there must at least be a few.
Yes. I see some. Scattered about, they continue the fight.
Radiating warmth, one of my persevering companions catches my eye.
Focused on her encounter with the foe, she is still full of life.
On mere observation of her graceful motion, I am instilled with a new hope.
I am a Knight. My armor protects me from the continuing blows of the adversary.
She has given me reason to persist.
I must survive, if only to join her in glorious victory.
I am transformed, swiftly attacking the assailants…
Beep.
Now the timepiece sounds my triumph. twelve o’clock, and already I am successful.
Smiling, I replace my weapon and lightly stride from the scene.
As I step out into the sunlight, the day is fresh and bright.
I set out to find the one who saw me through the darkest hour.
My spirit is renewed.
The conflict is a shadow of memory, replaced by the beauty of my life’s new love.
Commentary
With Renewal, I tried to capture the feeling of desolation I sometimes feel during a midterm/final. However, even in the seeming hopelessness, there is always something or someone there to help me make it through. That’s all the description I care to give on this one. It’s up to you to determine the nuances for yourself.