Eyes shoot open releasing her from her dream. Staring without comprehension at the random shadows cast by moonlight. Her room was always foreign to her after the nightmares. Huddled under sweat soaked sheets she was shaking ever so slightly. Not from the cold but from the demons that chased her in her sleep. These dreams held their own special power over her. She knew too well they were shadows ripped from reality. A reality she couldn’t escape and wouldn’t share. A voice whispering in the back of her mind urged her to reach out. That dark hidden part of her soul knew she could not handle these manifestations alone. Silently she pushed away the fear. Slowly her muscles relaxed and breathing returned to normal.
Fully awake she breathed deeply to calm herself. Her phone still clutched in her right hand, a false totem of safety. The device had lost whatever magic it held months ago. Eyes shifting to the clock, 3am, all was not well. This had become an all too familiar routine. Waking in a cold sweat after just escaping her haunts. The scenes changed slightly but the fear, the fear was growing stronger. Her mind flashed momentarily to her mother sleeping in the next room. Wanting to be held she could just try to crawl into bed with her. The comfort of being held close would help the fear subside if only for tonight. No, she would not disturb her. She was tired of hearing the same belittling reprimands. Condemning her for being afraid, acting her age, facing her fears. She would be badgered from now until the next night. No she didn’t want to hear it anymore. With a sigh she resigned herself to the belief that no one understands. Despite her texts and friends she felt terribly alone.
Slipping from beneath the sheets she peeled off her wet clothing and redressed. Next she pulled the sheets and replaced them with a fresh set. Bare feet padding down the dark hall toward the kitchen for some relief. Head down, eyes straight ahead, hair hanging loosely hiding her face, she is extra careful not to see her reflection. Don’t look at mirrors or anything shiny and most definitely not out the windows. On a clear night who knows what creature she might catch spying back in on her. He might even be there.
Getting to the kitchen she could feel eyes on her. She could feel the strange sensation of heat on her back as if invisible hands were ready to touch her. Allowing her eyes to shift to check the shadows did no good. This morning they were all foreign. With trembling hands she reached under the sink and felt the top of the bottle. No glass this time. Awkwardly she unscrewed the cap and brought the bitter liquid to her lips. The bourbon burned her throat as it went down. The dark liquid hitting her empty stomach and sending waves out to her extremities. Welcoming the dizziness her hands calmed and she replaced the bottle.
Moving to the computer room to gather her laptop she needed to go online. Back to her room she settled on top of the fresh sheets and opened the computer. A shadow flashed by the foot of the bed. ‘The moon light,’ she thought, ‘just the moon and some branches.’ Listening hard, below the hum of the hard drive, she thought she heard some breathing………
