All In My Head

What was that? Did you see that?

--No. No, I didn’t see anything.

Something is over there.

--There’s nothing there. It’s all in your head, my head. Shut up!

You’re right. Nothing is there. There’s nothing there. But what if there is?

--There’s nothing there. Shut up.

A black face. No face. Black shadow.

--There’s nothing there. My heart is racing. Shut up. Shut up. I’m not thinking about it anymore.

What if there is something there?

--There is nothing there.

It’s dark. How can you be sure?

--It’s all in my head. There’s nothing there. But is there?

Crooked body, skittering outside. It could be waiting. It could jump out any second.

--Shut up. It’s all in my head.

It’s blurry. You can’t see, so how can you know?

--There’s nothing there. Heart is still racing. Shut up!

You can’t be sure.

--I am sure. I know. There’s nothing there.

So why are you so scared?

--I’m not thinking about it anymore. I need to sleep.

Go to sleep.

--I can’t sleep.

Don’t look over the side of the bed.

--There’s nothing there.

It could jump up when you least expect it.

--Shut up.

There’s nothing there.

--I am calm. The light is on. There’s nothing there. My heart’s stopped racing.

Go to sleep.

--What was that? Was that a voice?

It sounded close, by my ear. What did it say?

--It said nothing. It’s only the neighbors.

Didn’t it say something?

--Nothing. I’m closing my eyes now. House is creaking.

Something is scratching.

--The house is settling.

It might be inside the room. It’s in the corner.

--Shut up. Don’t make me look.

You looked.

--There’s nothing there. Shut up. I’m going to sleep.

The closet is open a bit.

--It doesn’t matter. I’m tired. I need to stop thinking so much. I looked at the mirror. Never look at the mirror.

It’s Midnight.

--It’s all in my head.

Bloody-Mary, bloody-Mary.

--Shut up!! Stop talking. I’m not looking.

It’s ok to look.

--No, shut up. I won’t look. I need to stop thinking.

Ante-meridian.

--What?

It’s what A.M. means.

--Oh, right. Why did I think of that?

It’s twelve A.M.

--I should be asleep.

Did you hear that?

--It’s just my music player.

It sounds like the piano.

--It’s Mozart.

No, your piano.

--I don’t hear it.

It stopped.

--Of course, it did. I’m so tired.

You should sleep at least eight hours.

--I usually sleep eight hours. Sometimes six.

That’s pretty good.

--Why am I still talking to you?

I have a question.

--No, I need to sleep.

Why are you still talking to me?

--You keep talking.

It’d be rude for you to not talk back.

--Essentially, but really I shouldn’t talk to you. My stomach hurts.

You’re hungry.

--If I sleep I won’t feel it.

You should eat something.

--I won’t get up. You shouldn’t eat before falling asleep.

But you aren’t sleeping.

--Yes, well, I should be. Macbeth had more sleep than I tonight.

You lack the seasons of all natures.

--Alack, alack, the time I can’t get back.

It is now one o’clock in the morning.

--Time flies.

There’s a fly in here. I hate flies.

--I hate flies. Where is it?

Left, right, left, right.

--I can’t see it. I hope it doesn’t land on me.

It sounds like a chainsaw. Buzzing, hacking, crushing.

--Stop it.

Blood everywhere. It’s not a pretty picture.

--I can’t bring anybody back from the dead. It’s not a pretty picture. I don’t like doing it!

Genie?

--Yeah.

Your eyes are closing.

--I’m tired. Oh, no.

What?

--Something is ticking. Listen.

How did it start?

--It starts on its own. It shouldn’t do that but it does.

There’s something that moved down there. Something is by the foot of the bed.

--It might just be the cat.

The cat is in the living room.

--It has to be something reasonable.

Not necessarily. It could be a monster.

--There’s no such thing as monsters.

Aren’t there?

--Technically speaking, perhaps; but not really.

Why so tense? Is it moving this way?

--There’s nothing there.

What was that rustle?

--My heart is hammering. There is nothing. It was just my sheets.

Calm down.

--You started it.

I’m finishing it.

--That’s so cliché.

So was your ‘time flies’.

--Shut up. My eyes hurt.

That fly is still in here. It’s by my ear. Left, right, left.

--Disease spreaders.

Dead-eaters.

--My head hurts. Staying up isn’t good for you.

Rotting meat smells terrible.

--Not to flies. They have no noses.

How do they know where dead things are then?

--I don’t know. Good question though.

Wriggling maggots, fat in an eye socket.

--Skull. Skalle. SKAH-luh.

‘Die, die we all pass away’.

--Shut it.

‘We all end up the remains of the day’.

--Enough with the “Corpse Bride” soundtrack!

Rude, much?

--No, tired. Don’t need to think about that stuff.

What stuff?

--THAT stuff. You know what stuff.

I know what stuff.

--I can’t sleep.

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me.

--Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee.

I think it’s three o’clock now. Hour of the wolf.

--That’s random.

Werewolves or vampires?

--Vampires are better.

They hide in the darkness, upside-down.

--As long as they don’t sparkle I couldn’t care less.

You’re not afraid of vampires?

--They’re beautifully dark.

Sexy vampire.

--Exactly. Without the sparkles.

Sprinkles. Mmm, ice cream.

--Rainbow, chocolate, confetti sprinkles.

Ecstatic ice cream vampires.

--You’re tired aren’t you?

Nope. I’m thinking about dreams.

--I love thinking about dreams. Although I think dreaming is more fun.

If you die in a dream, you die for real.

--That’s a lie. I’ve gotten killed plenty of times.

You’re very morbid.

--I’m morbid?

Yes.

--No I’m not.

Who’s your favorite author?

--Edgar Allan Poe.

What’s your favorite day?

--Wednesday.

Why?

--Because of Wednesday Addams and it’s the middle of the week.

Hump day.

--Yup.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

--Become an underwater basket weaver.

Is that a real occupation?

--How should I know?

You’re so morbid.

--So is your face.

That’s mature.

--Mature as couture.

What is couture?

--Not mature that’s for sure.

You’re a poet and you didn’t know it.

--No, I knew it. Now it is five ante-meridian.

What happened to four?

--It came and went.

Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?

--I thought I was.

No, you’re still awake.

--Oh, then I suppose I should get to sleep. I’m all thought-out for tonight. I need to stop talking to myself like this. It isn’t healthy.

And yet, you continue to do it.

--It is alright all in my head.