Pitch black

Pain, I’m in physical pain. It’s dark, I don’t know where I am. I see a silhouette of a tall man in the corner. I can see him grinning at me from the light of the moon outside. I don’t know this man, he’s wearing a hat.

I turn away to run from this Man, I don’t know why I’m running but I feel like I must get away from him. I try to run as fast as I can, but my strides are too slow. I look back and see him following me, I try to scream but no noise comes out.

There’s no one to save me, I don’t know why I’m running.

I find a bathroom, I try to hide. There is a stall I run inside. “Lock the door, so he can’t reach you” echoed from the sky.

I lock the door, but I’m far too late. This man, this stranger pushes the door in. He’s no longer wearing a hat.

I try to scream, my voice gone as if I never had one.

He hurt me.

I wake up in my bed shaking. It was just a dream. My hands are hurting. I look down to see my fingers closed into my palms. I release them and see blood stained marks in the shape of my nails. My jaw hurts from clenching, tears streaming down my face.

I’m safe, but I’m all too scared. The recurring nightmare has come back.

I’ll need to sleep with the light on again.