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Night Terror

I am shocked back into consciousness by the scream trapped in my throat.
I leap up at the attacker fading from my vision, but fall back
In a paralyzed tangle of limbs, sheets and blankets.

As I struggle to force the power of movement into my limbs
I try to identify which avatar of terror is the late night
(and now red LED glow of the ``3'' of the first digit of the clock penetrates my brain and I amend that to ``early morning'')
Intruder in my mind.

Desparate loneliness?
The vastness of the Universe?
The shadow of Death?

But I can't identify the culprit.
And there are books of mug shots to help.

And I just want to know -
Why the hell can't I find a lock that will keep these bastards out?



Tom Swiss