This horrible night was almost over, sitting at the edge of my bed, I exhale deeply in relief. My dry mouth, painful cheeks, and miserable back teeth were indications of my misery, and yet something hurt worse still. So naturally, I got up and slouched over to the bathroom to get some water.

Tossing my sweat drenched shirt on the dark bathroom floor, I leaned heavily on the pedestal sink wanting some physical support. The unbelievably vivid nightmare I just experienced had really drained me.

I sleepily slap the hot water faucet on, and jolt back as it burns my tongue. I eagerly search for the light switch now, feeling dumb I just burned my tongue, and switch it on.

As soon as I made eye contact with myself, I leaped backwards onto the floor. As panic was starting to set in, I screamed “ahhh,” but all I heard was a deep sounding “uughhh”. As I grab the sink to pull myself up I notice the skin on my hand is peeling, and a bluish grey color.

Standing there, looking deep into the mirror, the realization of what I had become set in. My whole life was an utter nightmare. That moment of clarity was like someone lifting a hundred dead bodies off my chest, and then placing them on my shoulders. The detached jaw, droopy eyes, peeling skin, bent knees, and razor sharp teeth was a version of me I could accept. But the fire in my eyes were gone, my passion for being undead to the fullest, has eroded away.

Unable to bear looking at this lame version of me anymore, I rip out the lights and shrug back to bed. When I crawl back into bed my wife says, “ugghgh”. I say “ugghghh,” aggressively back, reassuring her I’d fix it later.