nocturnal creatures prowl,
slit pupils, dilated, watch,
tapetum reflecting ambient light,
circadian rhythms lost.

hands reach out,
darkness blinds,
fingers find things,
can you identify?

clicks and pops,
echolocation.
a skill,
undeveloped.

moonless night,
cloud-covered,
complete blackness,
like sackcloth.

pure fear encased,
soundless as well,
sensory deprivation,
panic attack.

running, running,
walls, banged,
glass broken,
tree branches scratch.

or is it claws
and teeth attacking,
blood dripping from cuts,
marking an unseen path.