Passing judgement.

Voices whisper.

People stare.

I want to sink away as if I was never there.

I feel like a fraud,

like I shouldn't be here.

Their voices grow,

growling sounds and taunting laughs.

Will they know?

They are watching me.

I feel their stares,

I have an urge to flee.

I can't hear what they say,

I sense their critiques with perfect clarity.

When will they force me away?

When will they kick me out?

How can I stop it?

How can I end my doubts?

These figures lurking in the shadows at every corner, every street, and everywhere I go.

These people are my friends,

some my enemies.

But does the line not blur

when interactions and meetings cease?

My heartbeat quickens,

I don't like being here

but I don't want to leave.

Their voices taunt me,

yet their mouths do not move.

Their lips are sealed,

and their faces blurred.

Why can I hear with perfect clarity,

what nameless people are saying about me.

They stand and watch,

hidden from recognition,

by their places in the shadows

where they are watching me.

I want to run,

I want to stay.

I want to belong,

but feel like I never will.

I am pretending to be like them,

perfecting myself to fit in.

These people lurk,

taunting me.

But how can they speak without mouths?

How can I see judgement in blurry faces?

How can I know if they despise me if they are not around?

Are these people real?

Do they truly exist?

Or are they just me?

With sudden clarity I can see them.

They are the face in the mirror staring directly back at me.