Tough love is the
ropes that are twisting
around my middle and
getting tighter
the more I
resist
snaking up my arms and
legs until I lose balance
and fall hard
on my face
so hard that everything's
laced in
mist
it curls around my neck
cutting off any hope
for air or even
one last
scream
that might alert
the eyes from the
shadows, but they just
stare in wicked amusement
as the ropes
break the
seam
of my skin making
the blood pour rapidly
off of red flesh
and onto the
black tiles
of the
floor