Call of the Forest

𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

'Sleep tight, dream tonight, hope you will return. 'Cause once the shadow takes you, there has only one returned. Sleep tight, dream tonight, but don't let the demon see you. 'Cause once in his mind and plans that night, you will not be returned.'

***

Once my eyes were fully open because of the coming sunrise, I decided to leave my bed and do something productive.

I walked over to my desk and began constructing my planner for school. My eyes meet my reflection in the mirror and I spot the dark circles around them.

I haven't slept well, I haven't slept well in a long time actually. My dreams had stopped when I was at an age of responsibility rather than believing. And I know some people would do anything for dreamless nights, but I wished they just would come back.

What would I love to be in my dreams again, to see my dream princes and my dream castles. I would plead to go back on my dream adventures and to, how sad it may sound, my dream friends.

It is sad how friendships are these days, everyone hates each other but nobody would want to be alone. So we'll pretend. I could star in Hollywood if they knew my acting performances.

I focus back on my planner, or whatever focusing means. This is the first time in weeks that I have found the minimum of motivation, and I waste it on a planner I probably will not follow.

I let out a deep sigh, because the idea of wasting my time again is getting on my nerves, and let the pen fall on the paper. This is useless, I remind myself. I walk back to my bed and shrimp so my knees are up to my chest.

I hear my phone notifications but even picking it up would be too much energy.

And so I close my eyes, yet again, and hope I'll wake up to the news of never having to do anything other than sleep and relax.

***

It's freezing and so I pull my blanket tighter. I feel my blood pump faster so it will keep my body warm. Since when are the nights so cold, I ask myself.

My nose feels the wind first then it flows against my eyelids. I open my eyes, the room was filled with darkness and only the moonlight gave me a bit of seeing.

My vision adapted poorly but I could see the problem. My window and curtains stood wide open, I should learn to close them.

But I never open my window, maybe my mom came in and did it for me. All these useless thoughts come inside my head, trying to keep me busy so I wouldn't walk up to the window and close it.

But I have to, I have to if I want to continue sleeping in peace.

I look at my clock,

3:26

I will wait until 3:30, I always wait until rounded numbers. I close my eyes and trust myself not to fall asleep, otherwise I'd only have myself waking up to another uncomfortable wind.

I look back at my clock,

3:31

Now I have to wait until 4:00, no be considering and make it 3:40.

I'm not proud of this behavior, but I don't even have the motivation to change that.

I keep staring at my clock and blink fast so I won't get seduced into keeping my eyes closed.

3:40

All right. I sit upon my bed, I'm making progress. I fastly jumped off the comfortable mattress before I could fall to my back again and let the last energy I have left leave my body. I wander towards my window.

I take the handle and slowly push it shut, I stand there like a zombie with my eyes closed and I don't feel any different than one either.

Right before it closes a force pushes it back open, making me fall backward.

I'm wide awake now...

It looks like it was the wind but I hadn't felt the cold air around me. No this must be something else, besides it was much stronger than some aggressive air.

I look at my bed, I just want to run towards it and jump underneath my warm covers. I'm creeped out, I admit, I have watched too many horror movies to keep this up.

But I've always had one problem watching those, my ego always thought I could survive. So I push myself up and walk towards the window. I slowly put my head to the outside and feel the freezing air clench itself on my nose.

I look to my right then to my left. Nothing. I curse myself already but take a deep breath and lift my head to look above me.

Nothing.

I turn my back towards the window and now it happened, I did the thing that got every person killed in those horror movies. I hear whispers but I don't turn back around. No, I will now do what everyone should have done in the movies. I slammed my window shut and ran to my bed, I hid under the covers like it would stop someone from murdering me.

Thank God I don't have dreams because this would've escalate into a big nightmare.