Ashes a mile deep, choking me on my way to the surface. My fist plunges through the mountain of burnt rubble. I struggle. I thrash about, desperate for air. Everything is blackness; I can’t see and I can’t breathe. My lungs are burning. They have felt this way for years as I’ve tried swimming my way through the dark, smoky madness. I want to reach the surface but I’m unsure as to whether the air will save me or be the nail that is driven into my coffin.

Let this unfold here. Now.