In the dark of the night

When all around is still, and quiet, where does your brain skitter to then? Do you rehash the previous day, regretting, or celebrating things you did. Do you plan tomorrow. Vowing, tomorrow I will put it all right. Tomorrow I will do all the things I should have done already.

Or, do you examine, or fear the dark? The heavy, ominous dark pressing in on you. Pregnant with unspoken sorrow, or danger. What is that scratching you hear, where is it coming from? Is it from the darkest, deepest corner... The movement of unseen horror, or only in your mind.

 The scratching as the wheels in your brain try turning, trying to make sense of your life. To make sense of the mistakes you made yesterday, or this week. Do they slowly turn, grinding, still rusty, as they try to operate fully? How often do you think things through properly, how often do you just act, without thinking? No wonder the wheels are creaking, and scratching. Vow to use them more....before they seize up altogether. Before you lose all reason.

Or, is there something else there, in the room with you? Something that that has no right to be there. There! There! In the darkest place, where the air is stagnant, and ominous, hunting. Heavy with danger, with pain, and fear! Can you feel it, can you see it move? Is it coming closer, does it slither, or glide? The hair on your arms stand erect, as fear crawls, a frozen finger, trailing inexorably through you. Shaking now, as adrenaline courses through your body. Every sense alert now, it must be close enough to touch...why can't you see it? Do you want to see it? No, if you see it, it exists, it's really there, stalking you...waiting its chance.

No. Close your eyes, curl small, into a ball, head on knees, bottom on heels. Might it miss you now, as small as you are? Still, keep still, and silent, but you can feel its breath, as it begins to envelop you. Beginning with your knees, poking before you...innocent in the dark. A scream, builds like pressure inside you. If you let it free, there will be no more hiding, it will have you...

A bell is ringing, on, and on, strident. Shakily, you stretch out your hand, press a button. The alarm stops.

Ahhhh no, it's the alarm, telling you to get up, another day is starting.

The dream, if that it what it was, will dissolve until the next time....