The dulling buzz eroded me from my sleep. It was dark, pitch black outside my window. I laid still in bed, not wanting to move from the warmth of my blankets. The buzzing continued, right at my ear. I turned my head, the sound moved with me, changing in frequency.

I sat bolt upright, and the room grew still. The digital clock in my nightstand glared 3:17 AM. It’s red glow barely illuminating the room.

My heartbeat thumped against my ribs, pulsing with the blood in my ear. The buzzing slowly returned, growing louder and louder. I clamped my hands over my ears. It burrowed into my skull until my teeth ached.

I cried out as it just continued to escalate, worsening each passing second.

I lurched from the bed, stumbling in the oppressive darkness. The buzzing was unbearable now, a high-pitched whine that threatened to shatter the insides of my skull. I clawed at my ears, desperate to silence the unseen tormentor.

Blinding light crashed through the window, the room instantly turning bright white. The buzzing turned to pulsing as I closed my eyes against the light. It permeated through my eyelids, glowing red through my skin.

I felt a presence, a hand in front of my face. I could see it in my mind as if it was my own.

Garbled words spread through my head, pulsating. Words of anger, fear, control. Heaps of meanings with worthless symbols I don’t understand. Then suddenly, nothing.

Black returns, and so does my silence. I jump, the sudden shift alarming. I throw my headache stricken head around the room. Nothing.

But a word, left to simmer in my mind.

**Arrival.**

(I lost my 80 day streak today😔🫠)