Sound Familiar?

You're the heroes, the miracle workers that save people from a living hell. That's what you do. Every day. You wake them from a nightmare and help them build a much better dream. The people you fight destroy everything. Their hope. Their resolve. Their will to keep going on...

And here am I, watching you at work, in awe of the miracles you work. I call out. I raise my hand. Just like you told me to when I needed something. Yet I am dismissed. Sound familiar?

My voice rises to a scream. But it's strength fizzles out on the wind before it reaches you. Again, I am ignored. Sound familiar?

I cannot even whisper anymore. Even if I could, you wouldn't hear me. Even if you did, you wouldn't listen. I am like the Little Mermaid, reduced to silent desperation, crying out to be heard. But pushed into silence. Sound familiar?

Tears fall from my eyes now. So fast a small lake has begun to form at my feet. I can do nothing. I know that now. I know now that you hold all the power. That there is none left for me. I know I am helpless. I know that if I try to rise, I will just be knocked back down again. Sound familiar?

I am nearing the end of what I can take. I am covered in dark shades of black and blue. I am exhausted and I am in pain. The people around me tell me to just hold on. But my grip is slipping and I am certain I'll soon fall. I don't know how much longer I can take this. I don't know how much fight there is left in me, but I don't think it's much. I'm this close to just raising my hands up in the air and screaming in utter defeat that you win. Sound familiar? 

It's what you rescue them from everyday. Is it possible that the very people you oppose is who you're turning into? Is it possible I am in dire need of the help you give every single day? To be built back up? To be pieced together again? To be shown a light to lead me from the darkness? To be shown my worth? To be told that I can stand on my own two feet again, and that I can go on? I am broken and I am bruised. You don't want to believe it. You don't want to believe it's possible to subject someone else to the torturous horror from which you save a lucky few. But is it possible that that's the truth? Is it possible that that's what's happening here?

I'll Be Watching You

Emily had been reading when it happened. The wind seemed to knock her breath from her and she struggled to get it back. Then, her head began to throb with a pain so intense, the struggle to breathe became harder. By some invisible force, she was thrown harshly across the couch, momentarily increasing her level of pain. She swayed slowly, one hand to her head. 

She held her hands in front of her and clasped thin air in frustration, as if she could take hold of her pain and squeeze it into dust, and nothingness. She is exhausted, but it appears that her body is no longer her own. It moves whether she wants it to or not. She is thrown across the lounge again. She breathed a sigh of relief and began to melt into the pliush couch cushions. But too soon, for she found her arm moving upward, leading her body into a seated position. She just let it happen. Too exhausted to fight it. She moved like a robot across the couch, nearly falling face first back into it. 

Allowed to sit still a moment, fear washed over her and she sank back, feeling the soft cushions against her back. Her head still throbbed. She looked upwards, took a breath and finally rose to her feet. She closed her eyes, just for a moment, as the lights went out. 

When Emily opened her eyes again, a series of prickes inched their way up her spine. She could feel the hot breath of someone breathing down her neck. It was then that the memory of her lost love returned. Kyle. She remembered like it was yesterday, as clearly as iff he were whispering the words into her ear what he had told her. I'll Be Watching you. 

She felt his chin brush downwards against her ar. She sucked breath in through her teeth, but it got stuck in her throat. Finally, she looked over to see her worst nightmare had come true. Looking back at her with his dark, haunting eyes was none other than Kyle. "Hi Emily." 

He grabbed her wrist and spun her around, bounding after her as she made to escape. He rushed toward her, lifting her effortlessly from the ground and hailing her over his shoulder, running with her kicking and screaming. Fighting fruitlessly against him. He put her down again, but was sure to retain hold of her wrist. She lifted her arm in the air, trying desperately to slip from his grasp. 

The moment he let go, Emily pushed him hard in the chest, sending him stumbling away from her. She came at him swinging. He took the first opportunity he could, when she had her back turned to grab her leg and lift her from behind. She threw her arms and legs outward as they spun, raising her arms as the faced each other head on. He grabbed her by the neck as did she and they moved with small, swift steps back toward her lounge. He grabbed her by the arms and around the waist, but she managed to slip from his grasp on both occasions. 

Emily took the first opportunity she could and ran for her life. But he ran alongside her, throwing the furniture down and racing toward her across the lounge. She ducked as he jumped purposefully into the air. He landed effortlessly on all fours, missing her by a few mere metres. She came at him again, but he swatted her hand away. He grabbed her by the arms and dragged her backwards. Finally, she grabbed hold of his arms and threw him sliding across the hard wood floor. 

They faced one another again. His hand extended toward her like slow motion, and she suddenly understood what was happening. By some strange, dark magic, he was controlling her. He had been this entire time. Her head twisted momentarily sideways in perfect timing with his wrist. She stumbled backwards as he thrust his hand out, as if throwing a blow to her gut. She landed blindly on the lounge, pulling her feet up after her and covering her face fearfully with an open palm. She closed her eyes, grotted her teeth and took a breath. She was gone when she looked again, and she breathed heavily, relief washing over her. 

But, little did she realise, he was still there. Watching, right outside her window. I'll be watching you... 

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Inspired by the Halloween Contemporary of #TeamFranneyPack on Dancing with the Stars, which you can watch here