held

the clock struck midnight...at least i think it was midnight. i heard it vaguely in the back of my dark, waking mind. time was lost. my hearing felt muffled, too. opening my eyes was painful. impossible. i tried to lift my head realizing my body wasn't responding to the commands of my brain. i was held. not like one feels held in the comfort of a loved ones arms, but in fear. and pain. when i moved, something foreign gristled deep inside, pinning me to my place. panting. pain. my head felt heavy. there was a hardness to the place i rested. it was the ground and it smelled of grease and dirt and feces and blood. there was so much blood. i could smell and feel it. dark, rich, metallic, sickening blood. why wouldn’t my head move? eyes slowly adjusting...thinking...how did he find me? panic. more pain. pant. pant. no. no. no. screams worked to find a voice in my mouth but were silenced before leaving. my body shuddered into the ground. the reality slowly materializing in the fog of my brain. i wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. no. he had won...