Corrosion

Corrosion - Lenka Simeckova art

The grey of daily life was stifling for Alex. She felt it press against her mind, like the ugly walls of her cramped apartment. But, Alex had a secret.

A way to escape.

There was an unknown world humming deep below. One that funneled underneath the streets and into a neon place with space. With wonder. 

All Alex had to do was take a bath. No normal one, of course. One filled with a cocktail of her own discovery. One she’d at first hoped might kill her, but brought her new life instead.

The first time, she’d cried tears of desperation into the water. Poured vodka. Slung salt. Added acid. She climbed into the bath and watched her body slowly fall apart, then drain away into the nether.

But, when she opened her eyes again, there was no darkness. No grey. 

There was music. 

There was art.

There were people like her - the forgotten lonely who simply needed the caress of another’s skin. 

She danced with them, her people. She kissed. She sensed. She whispered her desires and had them answered with an echoing in her soul. 

Alex found connection.

Yet just as suddenly as it started, the music ceased. She was back in her apartment again, whole. 

Mostly. 

Some pieces of Alex were missing. A mole here, a hair there, a small chunk of skin. Alex didn’t care. She’d filled up new parts of her mind instead. That gift was worth the sacrifice.

So, Alex went back the next night. And the next. She watched as others poured into their shared secret. She welcomed them with her warm embrace. Told them they weren’t alone. Showed them the world she’d come to love. 

Alex left more and more of herself behind each time. She returned to her apartment, diminished physically yet more fulfilled than she’d ever been.

The seventh time she went, Alex realised why she had to make that sacrifice. On the walls of her wonderland, there were eyes in the fabric. Mouths sang that stunning music. Alex understood there were ears listening to her fears and taking them away too. 

They were the parts of those who had come before her and left themselves behind for others. 

More than that, it was their unburdened spirits that lit up the place, giving it its neon glow.

It was then that Alex fully surrendered. 

She let her body corrode forever into something beautiful. 

Set her soul free to become a full part of this paradise. 

Her body had never felt right anyway. It was now a gift to others. Just as theirs was a gift to her, that helped her spirit soar.

Together, they made a place to welcome the lonely. 

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This story was inspired by the incredible art of Lenka Simekova. You can follow her on Instagram here for more dark delights.