Night Terrors

It is in the peak of witching hours, as of late
That my consciousness finally fades
Tormented nightly by lifelike imaginings
Too true, too probable, to be called dreams
Strung together nightly, as a series
Every episode more mundane and eerie
Stalked by the stone cold, coal colored eyes
Locked in tight, they searched for our lies
Just as vexing and shameful
As the few times I was wakeful
Those charcoal eyes were so bold
So much more than the actual approach
From then on, they were just a lingering presence
In the background, watchful of every occurrence
Every night I searched this city high and low
Relentless…I never did find you though
You came to me once, not because I cried out
You came to tell your story and disprove my doubt
Your face faded, as quickly as it came
Left me crying and screaming your name

Three feet off the ground, sweltering under the lights
I peered out into the crowd and saw him for the first time
He followed me too, but in focus, unlike the eyes
He tried to mend bridges, while I tried to cut ties
One night, everyone except for you, came in hard like a stampede
Pieces and parts from weeks of grief, shown as a finale
In the chaos, the little one strayed away from me, far
As I broke free, panicked, I saw her near a stranger’s car
I ran and everything else around me just melted
Like a freshly colored canvas facing water damage
Within reach, I extended my arms to take hold of her
My fingers grazed her skin, as my vision became blurred
In a blink, we were wrapped in a tight embrace and safe at home
Sobbing, hardly able to speak, I told her to never again wander off alone

The chain link visions have since ceased
Yet they stay rooted like memories
Replaced in sleep, by surreal nightmares
Waking up nightly, with a sense of terror
My dreams have become so vivid
Even the most bizarre, feels so lucid
It once was forty winks and nothing more
Now I stay awake just to avoid that door

I died last night and didn’t even know
You were the one to tell me so
You were driving on the highway, full speed
We were having an argument; you turned to look at me
I don’t remember how or why we crashed
It all happened way too fast
I crawled out of the broken windshield, onto the hood
You were already out, blank faced you stood
Unharmed, we simply walked away
You wouldn't speak a word and that went on for days
When you finally spoke, you said,
“Don’t you know you’re dead?”
“The car wreck, you died
It’s my fault and I survived
You’re dead god dammit! You…are… dead!
And so are three of your friends
They were in the car I smashed
Forgive me! It was an accident!”
I didn’t believe you, it couldn’t be true
How did everyone die…but you?
You displayed my obituary online
So many sad posts from family and friends of mine

I remembered where we were headed
Virginia Beach, it was so unexpected
I had never been to the ocean, it was a birthday trip
The absolute sweetest thing you ever did
I remember the scenery and smell in the air
The wind whipping through my cotton candy pink hair
Just for a moment, it was so serene
I didn’t even remember why we were arguing
The next thing I knew, I was there, alone
Obscure ebony colored clouds lurked over the waters below
The ocean as dark as a vat of indigo dye
Violent waves roared so high, I swore they touched the sky
As I stood in awe, three bodies were heaved to shore
All three of my friends, there and accounted for
Although, their faces were not their own anymore
Each was guised like Dali’s “Face of War”
I’m not sure how I knew who was who, but I knew
I scanned the desolate sands; no one but the lifeless in view

I ran to the streets, begging and pleading, passersby for help
Every person approached, was nothing more than a mirror image of myself
In the middle of the street, head in hands, I dropped to my knees
Over and over again, rocking, I shrieked, “This can’t be happening!”
One in the crowd, stopped and bent down near me
The fingers upon my shoulder, warmed my entire being
Terrified to see my own reflection again, I hesitated
I looked up into his unfamiliar eyes, my serenity instantly sated
That curious man took my hand, while pointing across the sky and said…very quietly:
“I’ll be waiting…there….in the light…when you’re ready to leave.”

Horrified, I got up from my knees, shaking my head side to side
Hastily, I headed back down to the shoreline
As I approached the corpses, three
There was a shift in the wind and a change in scene
There sat, all of my loved ones, dressed in black
You were there, far from the rest, in the furthest seat back
Tears of remembrance and regret spilled across the funeral home floor
And there you were, as expressionless as you stood once before
That death in your eyes, so much more haunting than my own
So conflicted, choosing to fight or give in, I let out a sorrowful moan
In a room filled with almost everyone I have ever known
Crimson tears fell from my eyes, as I stood there all alone
You couldn’t  hear me, see me, feel me…no one was able to
You were supposed to fight to keep me alive…to keep me with you
Drowning in the despair, I hung my head low
I whispered, “Strange man, I believe I’m ready to go.”