Masked

By Reese Spicer

Abruptly, I sit up with watery eyes,

Awakened from the “bum bum” of my pounding heart.

It sounds like a drum on a steady beat,

Getting louder and louder till it’s inches from my ears.

That’s all that can be heard over the uneasy silence

Crowding the air like fog on a cold autumn night.

And the well lit room suddenly looks as though its never seen light.

The monocolor of an old 1910’s film.

I move my legs slowly,

One tug at a time.

The feel of my skin is stiff, almost rubbery,

From the fear of what awaits me.

Suddenly, getting out of bed feels like the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

The sound of children’s laughter enuglfs me,

Like a chuckle from the villian in a horror movie.

But instead of joy I feel pain.

I stumble down my stair dragging my bricks with me.

I smeel eggs and bacon

Arriving from the kitchen.

Fresh and delightful, unlike how I’m feeling.

I stand at my door taking slow, steady breathes.

And now it’s time.

Everything stops and all I feel is my mask,

Glued on as permanant as the hair on your head.

And here the war begins