Too Sweet. | Haley x F. Farmer

xv. 2 am

Athena's POV
(Short read)

The clock ticks relentlessly, the hands edging closer to 2 am as I lie awake in my room. The darkness outside is punctuated by the occasional rustle of leaves and distant hoot of an owl, creating an eerie backdrop to my restless thoughts.

Insomnia grips me like a relentless shadow, refusing to let go as I toss and turn in my bed. The soft glow of the moon filters through the curtains, casting haunting shadows that seem to dance along the walls, mirroring the turmoil within.

My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, a tangled maze of worries and anxieties that refuse to be quieted. Each time I close my eyes, I am plunged into a certain nightmare, a dark and unsettling vision that sends shivers down my spine.

I try to shake off the fear, focusing instead on the comforting familiarity of my surroundings. The rustic charm of the farmhouse room, with its wooden beams and cozy furnishings, should offer solace, but tonight it feels like a prison, trapping me in a cycle of sleeplessness and dread.

The silence of the night is broken by the soft ticking of the clock, a constant reminder of the passing hours and my inability to find rest. I turn to my bedside table, where a dim lamp casts a warm glow, offering a small comfort in the sea of darkness.

Outside, the wind whispers through the trees, a haunting melody that seems to echo the unease in my heart. The night feels endless, stretching on in a haze of insomnia and a lingering sense of foreboding.

As I lie there, wide awake in the dead of night, I long for the peace of sleep to envelop me, to banish the nightmares and quiet the restless thoughts that plague my mind. But for now, I am trapped in this limbo of insomnia, counting the minutes until the first light of dawn breaks through the darkness.

I sat, rubbing my face with my palms as I heave an exhausted sigh. I can't believe it's happening to me again. I lazily grabbed my phone; it was currently 2:01 in the morning. It's very late, yet I cannot sleep. Damned insomnia and that distasteful memory.

I scrolled through my contacts until I found the exact number, then initiated a call. My phone started ringing, and I could feel my eyes getting heavy, my brain starting to knock against each other like a hammer trying to break in. Cold sweats covered my whole body, adding to the sticky discomfort. I felt a wishful anticipation as I waited for the call to be picked up, hoping for some relief from this sleepless night.

"Hello? Athena?" The voice came through the silence, bringing a wave of relief that washed over my entire body.

"Shua," I choked out, tears welling up in my eyes.