Night

     She moves so that she is sitting atop her bed, leaning against her pillow. Sleep is not her friend. Her mind does not shut off and races to the extremes. She has come to take comfort in nights like these.

     The thoughts leap into the darkest pits that she can't return from, at least without a fight. They circle her mind, moving much too fast to be heard, yet hurting all the same. Tears slip from her eyes as she reaches for her dog beside her. Right. Her hand grasps at the sheets that were once his bed. She cries harder, knowing that she is all alone. No one to save her.

     Deciding that she'll need a distraction before things get worse, she opens her phone and clicks on something to browse emptily. The thoughts slow, becoming numb. Her eyes become heavy, but sleep is not an option. Her mind is empty, growing more and more drowsy.

     After an hour, she thinks she is tired enough to skip the breakdown before bed. She closes her phone and returns to a resting position on her side of the bed. She pushes the thought of never seeing her dog again as far as she possibly can, but it isn't enough. Tears soak the pillow beneath her as the thoughts return full force.

     At first, they pick at the current topic,

     "He's gone, never to return. Did he even love you? He never chose to curl up with you. Did you even love him? You say you do, but do you really? Did you even take care of him properly? He didn't love you, you know."

     She sobs as her broken cries beg for them to stop, but they persist.

     "You're all alone now. No one to save you, to help you. What are you going to do if someone breaks into the house? What if they climb up the stairs?" She whines and pleads, but they continue, "What if they open your door? What if they crawl into your bed? And they do what happens next..."

     She screams as the thoughts refuse to leave her alone. All of her fears and insecurities are thrown at her.

     "Do you want a repeat of last time? You won't get off so lucky. Do you remember what happened? Maybe I should remind you."

     Her mind is filled with static, making her unable to think past the thoughts. They rule her mind as she comes to terms with the possibility of the end.

     "You hated her. You told your friends, but they didn't listen. I mean, of course they wouldn't. You're just a small, weak, pathetic... thing. No one will listen to you. She took your friends and used them against you. You are alone in this world. No one likes you. No one loves you. You are useless. She groomed you. Made you her plaything. Prepared you for the big event. You're so naïve. How didn't you see it coming? Well, it doesn't matter now. You're all used up, just used goods. Who'd want you? No one. They don't want to deal with a disgusting, bland ball of snot that cries at the slightest touch. You can't even go out in public without your anxiety skyrocketing! You think that someone would want to deal with that?! You're delusional!"

     "Please..." she manages to croak out.

     "Please what? End your suffering? Gladly."

     "No! I just want it to stop. Please make it stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop..."

     "I'm all you have. Do you really want me to leave? All alone. By yourself. No one to entertain you in the way I do best."