Darkness

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My parents made me sleep in the room with the mirrored closets. They knew I was afraid, but they said big kids faced their fears, not ran away from them.

I tried to sleep with my lights on, but they would come in and turn them off when I was asleep. I'd wake up, night after night, shrouded in darkness and terrified. I would lie perfectly still- I didn't even dare to move my eyes away from the ceiling.

Seconds...

Minutes...

Soon, a couple of hours would be gone and I would still be lying in bed, afraid to move or even breathe too loudly. And then the sun would begin to rise and my body would relax- mirrors aren't nearly as scary during the day.

One weekend, my parents had to fly out of state for a wedding. They decided I was old enough to stay home alone. I hugged them goodbye and sat around watching TV all day until I was tired. I switched off the TV and walked up to my room lazily, switching on my lights and clmbing into bed. I didn't even think about my mirrors as I was drifting off to sleep.

I awoke a couple hours later, drenched in sweat and shrouded in darkness. They had come in and turned off my lights again.

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