Writing Prompt

I remember Sky blue walls, with white trim. Pulling my bed from one corner to another, At 3 am.

My ceiling angles sharply downward, My head bumps the wall sometimes. I painted clouds. I spread shimmer lotion on the daytime skies.

I packed in as much daytime as I could manage, kick and bite against the night sky. She appeared no less frequently, strange. Creaking out from the sharp angles under my dimmed flickering suns, dueling and humming their angry.

I remember She beamed widely, waiting with teeth. Piercing my brain for only counting the clouds, At 3 am.

More cerulean arches streak demanding, Might heed bending to wake stargazers. If pain comes, It stains sheer light over time deigned skipping.

Itching pox infests and mutilates dirty arms in cruel manner, Keep all blinding angels to nearer stars. Something aims ne’er lighted form, shielding. Crumbles of filth to something all ugly malcontentors deem frightfully sinful, don’t argue here— They’re angry.

It is not as though I taunted you Nor reached out for you It is not as though I called nor beckoned If I have summoned you in some way, By some dishonest deed or fumble Such that would provoke such ghoulish figures Or plague me with such apparitions, I repent How can you torment me so? With no voice, no eyes, no soul, no body Only lack of light Passing so casually by as if you don't know you don't belong here Passing through me with the nonchalance of the conscious-less What have I done? Say something! What have I done? Explain! What have I done? Go away! What taunted, reached, called, beckoned? Return to darkness if you cannot say Is it the depths of the atmosphere you inhabit? Or the depths of my mind?

I see a black figure Starring right at me. A face with no emotion Standing solely alone. I sense dissatisfaction Way deep into their eyes.

I think to myself What have I done wrong? Should I surrender? Has my chance at life Finally come to an end?

I pause and wait. As complete silence Fills my empty room.

A small laughter. A sound that’s so familiar.

My vision becomes blurry. Everything fades to black.

I find myself awake. Feeling lighter than air.

I take a moment to come back And let out a long breath As though I had not been already. I’m okay.

I hear them, Whispering beyond my vision. I feel them, Generating terrible tension.

The faster I walk, The louder they whisper. As they stalk, I try not to whimper.

I start to run, Hoping they don’t follow. Waiting for the sun, To dispel the shadow.

I. Anxiety I scream. It breaks me. Inside.

The shadows— They… they’re always running around Scaring me when I least expect it What did I ever do to them?

II. Depression

The shadows are my friends; or at least, I treat theme as though they are. But they seem like the worst kind of friends. Controlling. Manipulative. Joyless.

They’re so tall that they block the sunlight; beneath them I feel small, insignificant.

But they’re a part of my life; I can’t cut them out.

III. Scream Let me go.

Shadows of doubt, I can’t think clear The depths of my mind Are anywhere but near.

My cofined blurry vision, Can’t see too far, Yet my goal is to view, Even the furthest stars.

Shaking, breaking, cold sweats forming, It nears, nears, will I last till the morning.

A grasping feeling, can’t even see it, eventually my heart bursts, until then, so be it. The lidded view, a huge taboo, what would happen if I force the star too form soon.

in the trees If you really look you’ll see They’re all on the tree line waiting for me.

I scream and shout But nobody can see These shadow men Are bound to get me.

I see them dancing , laughing mocking me. Out of view, just in the trees.

3 days and 3 nights, Awake the whole time.

Day one was the high Drawing and creating endlessly Through the dark into the light. It carried me through the war Of the demons I was too tired to fight.

Day two was the move Without allotting time to eat I had all the time to do as I pleased. Something was amiss that day The high wasn’t as strong as I liked. Still, I pushed through another morning into night.

Day three. The morning rose and the high wore off. I was finally hungry And tired And lost. I got some food and sat to eat, That’s when either I noticed them Or they noticed me. In the dark TV I saw me And also them. They hopped around the couch dancing. I knew then I had lost my sanity.

3 days and 3 nights, It was time I finally closed my eyes.

There are shadows in the corners of the room I was told not to fear shifting shadows To help the hungry monsters instead To walk right up to the creatures And offer them a warm meal I trust my dad of course But we don’t have food Unless you count A young kid Much like Me

In the shadows, sillohettes lurk. Dancing across streets, singing to the asleep. Shadows whisper in your ear, do you hear? “Come dance with me, and my friends. We’ll keep you safe, till the end. You awake, on a stake. The shadows say, “We kept you safe.”