Inhale, Exhale

She sat on the steel-framed bed, the texture of the rough linen sheets under her fingertips and her legs dangling off the edge, toes touching the floor. Inhale, exhale, and then she whispered, “Four walls, a ceiling, a locked door. Good.”
It’s a box. Trapped in a box. Doubting words slithered around her mind.
Inhale, exhale. “Stay in the box. A box is safe. ”
Is it? What’s that sound?
She stiffened, straining her ears. Footsteps. Her fingers tightened into the mattress.
“Don’t come in. Don’t come in. Stay out of my box.” Yanking her legs up, she curled into a ball, listening until the thump, thump noise faded away. Inhale, exhale, and her breath softened.
“They’re gone now. Alone the in box. Safe.”
For now.
She closed her eyes, pain creeping past her temples. “No one will come.”
Laying down on the bed, knees still pressed against her chest, she focused on the quiet and the dark. Inhale, exhale, don’t remember…It’s secure in the room, no one would come, the door would never open. She concentrated on the lies to avoid screaming.
Until the itch scrabbled at the back of her thoughts like scratching claws, thrashing through her mind and growling at her consciousness.
Wake up, wake up, wake up.
“Shush. Leave me alone. I need to be alone, alone, alone.”
Laughter echoed in her head. That’s the biggest lie of all. You can’t hide, you can’t stop it.
Her eyes fluttered open, and her stomach churned. “Why?”
More laughter.
“I’m never going to be free, am I?”
No.
Sitting now, she dangled her legs off the edge of the bed, toes touching the floor. The texture of the rough linen sheets under her fingertips grounded her thoughts, but she stared at the door, waiting.
Inhale, exhale. Every moment savoured, knowing it wouldn’t last. When the footsteps returned, she braced herself, whimpering as the lock turned and the door swung open. Scratching claws ripped through her self-control and consumed her will. The demon that shared her mind and body had control.
It whispered in her ear. Told you. The prey is here, and it’s time for my fun.
She closed her eyes as the creature sped her body across the room and leapt on the orderly. Trapped inside her own flesh, she hummed to herself, ignoring the taste of copper blood in her mouth and the screams in her ears…
Inhale, exhale. Try to forget that no one is safe from me…

~ A. F. Stewart

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