He is only visible to me.
Projecting himself through
my eyes, a stain on my retina,
he is forever here.

Conjured up by a child’s mind,
native, inescapable fears,
he has grown with me.
Bigger, taller, stronger.
Hidden in the deepest shadows,
eyes bright, haunting me.
Chilly arms engulf me,
crushing my lungs and I can’t
breathe and my heart
races and I can’t
do a thing.

Egging me on,
You can do it, you need to do it.
He knows I will.
He knows I must, but
I don’t want to.
I pull back, clawing
at his hands
Let me go!

The tips of his fingers burn into my back,
perfect little circles swirling
with lines that lead me down
towards the place I
dread most.

I see the looming door.
Simple, wooden, warped with age,
swinging, squealing on its hinges.
I wonder how many secrets
it has witnessed and heard over the years.
Passed from one eardrum to another.
Making hearts thud at the anticipation.

The door to my demise.
All else falls away.
What can I do now but take
another step forward?