In past days, things felt normal. Work, friends, the occasional movie outing, or even walks in the neighborhood were nothing short of a common day. Lately, however, something felt off. It was hard to stay focused on anything, hard to fall asleep or even stay asleep for that matter. It felt like a phantom was ten feet behind you no matter where you went, like a lingering cold front followed you around as if you were a beacon for it. You felt haunted.

Three months of this went on and it only progressively got worse, you could swear you heard voices and sounds of things that weren't there. Gaslighting yourself out of a panic in order to get just a wink of sleep, chalking it up to a scary book that you read or sugary sweets you had eaten too close to bedtime, but that chill down your neck never went away and it never would if he could help it.

Another sleepless night was bound to happen but the exhaustion of it all was what won the battle and finally gave you the reprieve of slumber. That is until you woke with a start from a nightmare, only to find a man clad in a yellow bodysuit looming over you with a camera like you were a specimen.

"What a shame." He purred, standing up straight and removing his cowl to reveal the strawberry blond hair underneath. "You're so beautiful when you're sleeping, and I had hoped we wouldn't have met this early yet."