There was always something so scary about the dark; the unknown. What hid being dark. Not knowing who, or what, could be lurking from afar. Made up creatures in your mind of useless shadows spiraled within your mind constantly. Myths from friends about the unknown made your fear worse.

Sadly, the fear of the dark and unknown creatures stuck with you while growing up. Nightlights, a regular routine checking to see if anything is lurking in non-visible places, comfort before bed, nothing calmed you down. Every corner, door, closet, room, curtains… were checked at least 3 times. The dark always felt so alive, there was no escaping it.

The older you got, the worse things became. Luckily you were able to get help and get diagnosed with nyctophobia. Finally putting a name to your fear. Learning about this did wonders for your life. Getting the medical help you needed, along with therapy, made a big impact. Learning new coping skills to get yourself out of the panic when it flows your senses. And very slowly, you built a life that didn’t revolve around that never ending fear.

Like any disorder, there’s always ups and downs. Every single day wont be perfect; there will be good and bad days. You and your therapist concluded that your nyctophobia sparks when you’re stressed, or when a negative event happens. It was nice to know the cause of these break outs. It caused such great achievements for you, to be where you are, living in an apartment with your partner, your partner who loved and understood you unconditionally.

Tonight you knew you would have to fall asleep alone. Your partner had to work overtime occasionally, which wasn’t a big deal, but you hated not having them in your presence as you fell asleep. And tonight was one of those nights. Your anxiety was through the roof and your mind was lying to you that there was someone or something lurking in your house.

This night was stranger than usual. Every noise was too much. The hum of the fridge was too loud, the ticking of the clock, hearing water move through pipes… It felt like a knot was forming in your chest. Your mind was spinning with the countless possibilities of what could be in your home, even if it was natural sounds.

The panic traveled up your throat. You ran to your room, quickly closing the door behind you. Once in your bed, you laid there with the covers yanked over your face. After several extremely long and quiet minutes, you still haven’t calmed down. All the noises you heard earlier had bled into. nothingness, which is now loud again. All you could hear was your heart thudding.The air was thick. And very slowly, you lower the covers so your eyes had enough room to peek. You notice your door is cracked open, and two brown eyes are staring at you.

You froze. Your fears weren’t just constant overthinking anymore, they were real. The figure shifted behind the door, never blinking. The mystery figure then speaks, their voice breaking the deathly silence. “It’s okay love, no need to be scared. There aren’t any monsters, you can come out now.”

For a split second you were relived, it sounded just like your partner. But the realization hit. Your boyfriend did not have brown eyes. Your boyfriend was not home, and would not be home for several more hours. And ever so slightly, you can see the glisten of slimy teeth form into a smile.