ritual

i sat alone with my head in my hands, again. it had to have been the third time that week.

my twin-sized air mattress grew in size, and the walls inched inward, as if to close themselves in on me. they no longer echoed in song. i choked on my own breath and my heart became a broken record, or at the very least, i became more aware of its repetitive movements. cough, cough. up and around my eyes went, in a disorderly and anxious fashion. the rumbling voice on the phone fizzled out into radio silence.

that's all i felt i received, was radio silence.

a sip took itself from the seltzer in my hand. it stole me away as the night progressed.

the corners of my mouth turned themselves upward- a sunken smile crept its way onto my face. i giggled at the person inside my phone. my thoughts were like flies, and i diligently swatted them away. i remembered an instance, and i allowed my body to fall into the mattress...