The highlight of my day, the end of it

I reach for the light switch and mosey on under the soft, comfy covers

For a moment, I feel the hefty weight from the day’s stress fall from my chest

But as I lie there in sinister silence, I feel it come back

Heavier than before

I sense its approach

I get a lump in my throat and my stomach nots

Its poisonous presence taunts me as I sit up in a scurry

Squinting my eyes, I try to adjust to the darkness that smothers me

I feel it again… stronger… heavier… closer…

I feel it now

Skittering against my skin, shooting chills throughout my body

It creeps up my leg and emerges from under the covers

Eight long, hairy legs held together by a fat little body

With eight dark, threatening eyes that make my body stiff

Its stare paralyzes me

It pounces, and its slender legs stick to my cheek

A screech escapes me, and it darts into my mouth, scratching the walls of my throat as it forces its way down

Gashing at my neck with my fingernails, a million scattered replicas of the first arise from under the covers

One after the other, I feel the prickles of their feet crawl up my limbs

They creep under my baggy t-shirt and chew through the layers of my skin

Some of them rush up to my ears and bolt in

My head slams against the wooden headboard as I attempt to scream, but all is silent

Hopelessly hearing my silent screams echo off of the walls of my bedroom, I feel it

An agony that makes me rip clumps of hair from my scalp

It comes from the bottom of my stomach and gets closer and closer to the surface

It pierces through my flesh, and its blood-lust minions race to my gaping wound and feast

My eyelids split open, and I turn on the  lamp on my nightstand

I sit up in a bustle with a cold sweat and a racing heartbeat

After a moment, I let go a relieving exhale, wipe the sweat from my forehead, and lie down

But then I feel something

Something strong… heavy… close…