In the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, the world lay in ruins, its once vibrant cities reduced to desolate landscapes. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the sky hung heavy with ash and smoke. The survivors huddled in makeshift shelters, their faces etched with the pain of loss and the fear of the unknown.

Among the survivors was a lone wanderer, haunted by visions of a forsaken world. He wandered through the remnants of civilization, his steps echoing in the eerie silence that enveloped the decaying structures. As night fell, he sought refuge in the shadows, yearning for a respite from the nightmares that plagued his every waking moment.

One fateful night, as he lay motionless inside his shelter, he felt a sudden chill in the air. A mysterious figure emerged from the darkness, a ghostly presence with eyes that held a haunting familiarity. She whispered softly, her words carrying the weight of ages, “Forsaken, I have come for you tonight.”

His heart raced as he gazed into her eyes, captivated by a mix of fear and fascination. The figure extended her hand, a silent invitation to surrender to the inevitable. “Awaken, look in my eyes and take my hand. Give yourself up to me.”

Haunted by a sense of deja vu, he struggled to recall where he had seen her before. The figure, undeterred by his confusion, revealed a crimson stain on her lips, a chilling kiss that hinted at a forbidden connection between them.

Desperate for answers, he questioned her, “I have to know your name. Where have I seen your face before?” But she responded with an otherworldly calm, “My dear, why don’t you be afraid?”

As the night wore on, the wanderer found himself torn between the terror of the unknown and an irresistible pull toward the enigmatic figure. She continued to beckon him, singing a haunting melody that echoed through the desolation. “Forsaken, I have come for you tonight. Awaken, look in my eyes and take my hand. Give yourself up to me.”

With each passing moment, the wanderer’s world blurred between reality and a dreamlike trance. The figure offered an escape, a chance to fly away from the desolation that surrounded them. “Take me far away, close your eyes, and hold your breath to the ends of the earth.”

In a moment of surrender, he succumbed to the haunting allure of the forsaken figure. “Forsaken, fly away with me tonight. Awaken, renew my life. Now you are mine. Give yourself up to me.” And as they disappeared into the shadows, the remnants of the forsaken world were left behind, swallowed by the abyss of the unknown.

© Francesc Borrull, 2023

Inspired by the song ‘Forsaken’ by Dream Theater, from their 2007 album ‘Systematic Chaos.’ Music by Dream Theater, lyrics by John Petrucci. Official video here.

For a while
I thought I fell asleep
Lying motionless inside a dream

Then rising suddenly
I felt a chilling breath upon me
She softly whispered in my ear

Forsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand
Give yourself up to me

I waited painfully
For night to fall again
Trying to silence the fear within me

Out of an ivory mist
I felt a stinging kiss
And saw a crimson stain on her lips

I have to know your name
Where have I seen your face before?
My dear why don’t you be afraid

Forsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand
Give yourself up to me

Take me far away
Close your eyes
And hold your breath
To the ends of the earthForsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand

Forsaken
Fly away with me tonight
Awaken
Renew my life
Now you are mine
Give yourself up to me