Eddie B.

“Your dreams shouldn’t let you sleep.”

That was the phrase that I started this story with. It struck me that those words didn’t really apply to me. I’ve never been one to lose sleep over much of anything, so it seemed this story would involve someone who was quite different from me.

That’s it! I’ll write this about my polar opposite. So I set down to write a descriptive entry about a person who differed from me in as many ways as I could fit in. Of course, the story ends up saying an awful lot about me when its constructed that way. Let me know what you think.

Eddie B. (@ Scrawlers)

Of the group of us who started together, Eddie had proven the most suited for corporate life. He was above me, but not directly, on the company’s org. chart. Clearly, he felt his standing, in this situation, obligated him to deliver a motivational speech.

He leaned in, so uncomfortably close I couldn’t make eye contact. I focused on his collar. While he spouted empty slogans (If I’m relaxing, I’m not achieving. Your dreams shouldn’t let you sleep.), I noticed, under his perfect Windsor knot, the top button of his shirt had worked its way undone.

Why I’m Afraid of the Dark

This one was inspired by fear. I’ve had this idea in my head for a while, so it felt pretty good to set it down and work on it a bit. I initially had it set up as a juxtaposition of the woods in the day and at night, but I pared it down to its current form.

Why I’m Afraid of the Dark (@ Scrawlers)

I went there at night only once.

I needed an escape and my clearing in the woods promised some respite. I lay on my back with the black sky above me and found the night unexpectedly thick with silence. My mind raced to find something to fill the emptiness. When I was younger, I would imagine creatures or madmen in the darkness. Now I couldn’t even summon those childish frights. Without the familiar stimuli of the daytime, I was lost in an overwhelming darkness.

I’m not sure I will ever find my way back.