Life consumed by guilt

Freaking sounds and weary creepers
Made me wake up from a deep sleep
Deep in the woods, I stood with none
Near shattered leaves and stains of blood
A body, faced down, rested almost dead

To make sure I was watching the real
Rubbing my eyes, I cleared my sight
I tried my voice but was totally dumb
I neared the body to uncover the mask
Screeching aloud, I stepped back, to see
A body bleeding with pealed off skin
Smiling at me in the middle of the jungle

Gasping and panting I ran for my life
Till I was alone with my own shadow

The sky was clear except with a red moon
Broken spider webs and hooting owls,
Sitting upon dry branches, haunted me.
I couldn’t breath nor I could think
With raised heart beats and cold shivers
I was sweating in that freezing cold

Paranoid of everything at that moment
I shuddered for the echoes of my own gasps
Distracted by the lot happening around
I didn’t realize what was waiting behind

A hand with rotten flush patted on my back.
The stinking flush ripped from the deceased,
Pluck! It fell on my face in the mighty wind.
Repeated laughs of that partly derelict skull,
Gained over my last-left strength to survive.

Before I was carried to the land of shadows
I remember the look on the wrecked skull
It made me sink into the world of guiltiness
The same way I felt when I ruined my pal

A review of her life flashed before my eyes
Perhaps, I could have stopped her from dying!
A counter verdict could have altered her life
But I opted my benefits over her requests
And ignored the talented life getting wasted
Her kid’s cries were pricking my conscious
Yet, I watched them begging in the alleys

Given an extra chance, I could have helped them,
But, darkness glued around even after waking up
I saw the last glimpse of light fading far away
The feel of guilt thus swallowed my bare soul.