Flicker Out

The last bit of flame flickers out,

folding itself into the dark.

The air grows thick

as the hairs on my arm

stand pin straight.

.

The darkness feels inviting,

almost familiar.

The room stays pitch black

as my eyes learn

their way through it.

.

It’s quiet—

too quiet.

My heartbeat rises in my chest

as the room around me

seems to shrink.

.

Silence wraps itself around me,

too tight to breathe.

My breaths shorten,

clipped by the weight of the dark

pressing in.

.

My mind drifts,

but my eyes lock on the corner—

a shadow.

I flick my gaze back and forth,

yet the heaviness lingers,

stubborn as the dark.

.

I close my eyes and breathe,

feeling my lungs lift and loosen

in the darkness.

A quiet acceptance settles

where the fear had been.