shadow

dishevelled

she climbed from the wooden sides of the bed

wrapping herself in a sheet with a worn hand

"who am I?" 

a disjointed voice reverberates into the cold hanging air

she looks down at her hands within the shaft of light from the window

she is deathly pale, almost translucent

barely even there at all

a vague numbness resides inside her chest

a pulsating hum ringing in her ears

disconnected 

hardly there at all

a murmur in the bed prompts her to turn

her eyes cast down upon the sleeping form next to her

a vile repulsion rises in her throat and all she can think now is

"i must get out of here"

flinging her legs out of the bed

she hurriedly dresses in the dark

fumbling with zips and underwear

her heart pumping fast 

her mission to escape propelling her forwards

She turns then and catches sight of herself in a mirror hanging behind the door

and recoils with horror

she stares at the figure there

with contempt

anguish

fear

she turns and runs from the room

from the house into the night air

her breath cold and billowing

rasping

she looks down to realise she isn't wearing any shoes

panic

she runs

she runs

she runs

until she finds home

locking the doors

closing the curtains

turning out the lights

under the covers she sleeps away feeling

this is the story that leads to now

now 

now

she is locked behind

the walls 

of that night

desperate

alone

frightened

waiting for her own hand

to guide her

out of the darkness