I come-to from a nightmare, full of dark detail
But already slipping like sand through my hands
Walking down Charlotte street past stacked apartments
Shouts from afar past the rows of parked cars
A man whose face is now a blur makes me a promise
“*******, I’ll **** you”
Call the police, no answer, no help, no reassurance
Cut to a scene in an empty hallway, sensing his presence
My face is badly mangled and drips from lacerations

Fear and helplessness are real emotions
Even during REM cycles
I woke screaming and clutching my face
Still unsafe