Through My Eyes

Chapter 1

Trigger Warning

Mentions of assault and child abuse.
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     Like most children, I, too, was afraid of the dark. I must admit, there were times the darkness felt peaceful and welcoming, but for most nights, it filled me with fear and uncertainty.

     As I stayed lying in bed, I could feel all my other senses heighten. I really hated the dark. My body was always on edge, and it took me hours to sleep without a night light on. It always felt like there were things moving in the room. Some nights, I'd wake to hear the curtains flapping, the bed board creaking, or even just a rustle across my bed. And then there were those times I'd find someone watching me, their face inches from my own, peering at me through the dark. They'd never be there when I opened my eyes, though. Just gone.

     I'm not sure whether I heard them, felt them, or maybe just dreamed them. The worst was when I could feel them breathing on me. I tried to convince myself it was nothing but fear was getting the better of me. I don't remember how many hours I spent awake before exhaustion overtook me, and I fell asleep.

     When I was surrounded by the darkness, I felt like I could hear better. Some nights, my own heartbeat felt too loud and kept me awake. Other nights, I could hear sounds coming from downstairs. Footsteps, doors closing, muffled voices. Sometimes, the footsteps sounded like they were coming up the stairs, stopping just outside my door. My breath would catch in my throat, and my heart would pound so hard that it would hurt. I'd hold my breath and listen, waiting for the doorknob to turn, or for a shadow to appear under the crack in the door. Other times, it would sound like the footsteps were just going up and down the stairs, passing by my room and disappearing again. I tried not to think about it too much. I didn't want to worry about it.

     But there was one night in particular where I couldn't get those sounds out of my head. It was the night when my life turned into a living hell. That night, the monster who would haunt my dreams for years to come found his way into my bedroom and stole everything from me. My innocence, my sanity, my childhood. He stole it all, and I was never the same after that. I was only seven years old when it happened, and I remember it all so clearly.

     That night, the footsteps did stop in front of my door.

     That night, the shadow did appear under the crack in the door.

     That night, the door handle did turn.

     It was late, and the house was quiet. The only sound was the low hum of the television downstairs. I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a faint creak. At first, I thought it was the wind or maybe a tree branch hitting the side of the house. But then, it came again. This time, it was louder. And then, there were footsteps. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. There was someone outside my door. I didn't dare move, afraid that the slightest noise would alert them. The footsteps grew closer and stopped. The doorknob turned slowly. My heart was racing. I didn't know why I was so scared, but something inside me knew something was wrong.

     I didn't want to make a sound. I didn't want them to know that I was awake. The door opened a crack, and I caught a glimpse of a dark figure standing in the doorway. They stood there for a moment before slowly entering the room and closing the door behind them. The room was silent again, except for the sound of their footsteps. They moved around the room before stopping beside my bed. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and then, the covers were lifted. The person slid under the covers and wrapped their arms around me. I tried to stay still, afraid that they would notice I was awake. The person placed their lips next to my ear, and I could feel their warm breath on my skin.