text: Charlie’s Well The light coming from above seemed so far way. Charlie sat languid; staring at the circumference of light at the top of the well. Only past the light sat the rest of the world. Large, chunky rocks composed the circular prison. Each varied in shape and size, but cut as much as the next. Blood soaked his hands Dirt marred his cheeks causing them to look pallid. So many times he tried to climb out, only to fall back down each time. Each plummet hurt more than the last. Charlie couldn’t exactly remember how he ended up at the bottom of the well. He just found himself there one day. Surely someone would pass by out of sheer luck and throw him a rope? All the urges within him told him to scream for help, but his voice evaporated every time. One last time. One last time he would try to escape. Charlie stood up lethargically, wiped the dirt from his blue jeans. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I can do this”, he told himself. Spying some dry dirt on the ground, he took a handful and rubbed the soles of his hands. The dirt permeated through his fingernails. Charlie spent minutes meticulously choosing his path. Finally, with the path chosen two hands firmly grasped two rocks. With his feet, he pushed himself higher. He climbed and climbed, with each thrust forward, his spirt slowly became replete. The small pinpoint of light became a sun. The warmth of the air above raised every hair. A smile broke as he became closer. Not much longer now. One hand grasped the next rock. As he heaved the other hand forward, a sharp, acute pain stung his hand. Hanging on by the one hand, he saw the long cut trickling blood. No vestige of hope remained. Only a few feet separated the boy and the outside world. He went numb, after all the distance traveled nothing would stop the inevitable descent. Then, a hand appeared out of the light. The hand grabbed the bloody hand and pulled Charlie forward. The luminous transition blinded his sight. Eyes squinted to defend the assaulting light. As the light became tolerable, Charlie looked around. There he stood, surrounded by grass in a field. The sky shined blue and the gentle breeze felt pleasant upon the skin. In front of Charlie stood the very person he needed most. A smile broke free. At that moment Charlie knew all would be well.