Kassidy Smith
A night away.
From the noise and confusion of delinquency.
You drive, thinking of what might be.
A knock.
Quick. Quiet.
It opens the gate to shadows pressing close.
At first, this night is everything you imagined.
A solace to step outside your world.
But the dark is patient.
It stalks the corners, the curves of the walls.
Everything is out of reach.
You question how you arrived here.
A bitter taste lingers.
Just one more step, and then?
Maybe another.
Not enough.
A weight you’ve never known.
Invisible chains, yet so strong.
Do you move, or do you remain frozen?
You fight, you resist, you shift.
But it is not enough.
The dark will have its way.
And once is never enough.
After the silence enters, you lie awake.
Counting hours, forgetting to breathe.
Fleeing delays the inevitable.
All you can do is watch the ceiling.
This is the new rhythm.
You will never be that girl again.
Someone else now walks in her place.