The darkness floated around me like an ethereal shadow. Complete and unwavering, it comforted me and gave me the time to think. The room was void of household necessities and that made me feel safe. Nothing could creep up on me here. If the door opened, perhaps only a shred of light might intrude and bounce across the walls.

I never wanted that.

The dark was the only place I could breathe without explanation. It swallowed the world outside, the noise, the expectations, the endless parade of faces that demanded something from me. In the dark, there were no clocks or conversations, only silence. It wrapped me like a blanket and made me feel whole. I thought maybe I could stay here forever, dissolve into it and become unseen.

Eventually, I stood and pulled the door open. The hallway light seeped in, breaking the perfect black. I stepped through reluctantly and the floor became cold beneath my feet.

That was when I noticed it.

The shadow that stretched out behind me did not follow. It hesitated, edges thickening, and then began to rise. Slowly it peeled itself from the floor, shaping a figure separate from me.

I froze however, it did not.

It turned, not toward me, but back into the room. Without sound or weight, it slid across the threshold and settled into the darkness I had left behind.

I shut the door quickly, though I was unsure whether I was keeping it in or keeping myself out.