Incapacity

A pale man dressed in white

scales the wall upside down on his tiptoes

and I know the interlopers are coming.

My fluffy gray comforter

and plush pink blankets can't hide me.

I scream silently with open eyes

and sink further into my bed.

numbness spreads slowly

until my limbs are useless.

No matter their form

I always invite them in.

Spider shaped orbs

float above my head

their onyx tendrils

dancing and taunting.

Sometimes it's a woman's voice,

shrilly screaming for help

or sometimes,

a man whispers that he'll kill me,

so close I feel hot breath on my ear.

Always invited but never welcome,

They're the shadows in the corner.

The shadows that stay.