beware.

eyes gently closed,
you float on your back
in the dark water.

all is calm and quiet.
you hear the soft
lapping of water against
your body.

breathe in,
breathe out.
lungs work methodically,
heart beats so slow.

all you hear is the
whoosh of air entering your
lungs, the constant lubbing
of your heart with your ears under
the water.

your arms float at your sides.
your legs float below.
your body rises with every
intake of breath, and sinks
as you exhale.

something brushes your back,
tugs at your conciousness,
sweeps through your hair,
gently touches the back of your mind.

what is that?

your eyes flutter open, and see nothing.
nothing but thousands of stars.
a galaxy folded open for you,
only for you to see.

as you gaze at the universe,
cold hands reach up and around your naked torso,
and start to pull you down,
slowly,
gently,
down.

the hands belong to arms,
which belong to a body.
pulling you closer to itself.

pulling you under.

looking up, you see the blurry
images of those bright
stars through the waters.
and you burn these faint afterimages
into your mind's eye.
and hold them forever.

-------------------
a response to a pang of _______.