“It’s coming up to that time of year again-” the child shivered feeling the comfort of his tightly wrapped blankets evaporating into air. “-You know the one. Where sleepless nights gather in clusters, burning as the darkness supresses you. Overtaking the light. Not a blink until sunrise.”
It couldn’t help but shiver. Sparks of fear daring to start a fire. The child shook his head lightly, almost afraid that if it shook too hard, its own neck would snap. “Tha-thats not true…this year will be different. I swear.”
The child felt it screamed the words into the dark, but that was only something above a whisper. No words were spoken from the stars for the year to change. No screams for help were heard.
Sunlight blistered through the curtains bleeding light into his saturated bedroom. But that changed nothing, maybe his ability to see that through the black there was nothing. Overall, no smile crossed his features as he pulled back the covers which were meant to be his shield. It didn’t work like usual. He couldn’t see why he thought that him trying to change the gears would inflict how it always goes. But then again, he did. He would over and over if he had to. There was no reason. It’s just what he did.
He scooped up his bag, readying himself for the day ahead as routine it was the same each time. Treading out into the stale air where dark massed clouds lurked around each corner, despite the clear sky and sun beating down onto the pavement all he saw was shades of grey.
All day he shifted in his seat, knowing how terribly what would become of tonight. The whisps of conversations gathered around him like strands of a cobweb. He saw words and letters, mouths moving and eyes watching but he could not understand what they meant. His eyes crossed from person to person but everything they said to him was nothing but plasma seeping into the universe.
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Finally, he noticed people gathering their bags at the end of the day. He hadn’t a clue what was happening around him anymore from words. Only actions spoke and no one seemed to talk to him.
Hours passed and eventually he was to return to his torture. Slowly he watched as the sun that was pouring into his bedroom cracked under the horizon.
The monsters came out to play again.
Fear crept under his covers and strangled him in the fashion of a hug. He reminded himself that he was never safe under there and anything could be lurking under his bed. He jumped, as if in slow motion across from his springy bed to the wooden desk and slid into the corner between that and the solid wall behind him.
Still uneasiness set fire.
The walls were jelly. There wasn’t anywhere safe in here.
He felt his palms go sweaty and his heart wail in his ears.
“No! no no no. it’s okay. We are okay. Nothing here can hurt you. Please calm down. Nothings there!” He treated himself as a child at first. Trying desperately to calm himself from the world that was spinning and melting around him. But he failed.
At first a harsh whisper, “Please, don’t hurt me. I did nothing wrong.” The shadows stalked around him. Going to his safety corner was a mistake. He trapped himself. They faltered across the walls. Dripping themselves as if to taunt him around his things. He was right. There was a monster under his bed. But he would have been safer there.
“You honestly thought you could hide from us, didn’t you Juniper?”
He froze. Things stopped spinning for a second. His window wasn’t far. Could he make it? Surely it wouldn’t hurt as much as they say. “Come join the stars. You know you want to. Are you too fucking scared?! Is that what this is Juniper? You moron! You fucking moron.”
No longer could he hold himself together.
“I’m sorry! I swear I never did anything wrong! I’m sorry! You hear me? I said I’m sorry!”
“Well. Sorry isn’t going to cut it. Not this time.”
A blare of soot collapsed on him. Drowning out the cries and screams that erupted from his throat. Hysteria let loose. But like I said. It was that time of year again.