The Sanctuary of Absence

Fighting for my life.
My head throbs, my eyes narrow with pressure.
The world fading into murky obscurity.

Dull tones fill my ears with cotton, my shoulders sinking under the burden.

Teeth bared and clenched tight in primal fear and desperation.
Awaiting lift-off.
Every fiber taught with ascending numbness.
Pain amplified by complete lack of sensation.

Rising until my head rests unhindered in mid-air.
Ethereal.
Slowly slipping into the sanctity of safety.
Away from him. Away from them. Away from me.
Refuge.
Allowing me to catch my breath before I return to the ring.
Life waits on the ground.