The Illusion of Reality

Jerking into a state of alert

His environment too familiar to be known

He fists his hands in reflexive defense         

Intuitively grasping air that feels so tangible

Alarmed, he begins to retreat

Mouth agape and heart thudding against worn ribs

He makes to distance himself from this strangely serene place

His pace, significantly slower than his neurons command

Confusion pours over him as his sweat hits the ceiling

Attempts at rationalizing prove futile

There is no accounting this experience

Still retreating, he sees that outline he has come to know

This spice of his life

The love of his world

Inching towards him in a fluid movement

His lips turn downward, defying the impulse to smile

An uncontrollable panic erupts in his chest as she nears

Unwilling to understand this contradictory feeling

Yet willing himself further away still

His heart reaches out to her

Though his mind would have none of her

She got too close and her face seems to emerge from the shadows

Then he sees it...

Her face!

Metamorphed into a Joker’s

He fears to look down

Away from the mocking face

But his neck insists

There was no need

The knife rose to plain sight

Reaching for his heart

He struggles to hold her back in his mind

His unyielding brain ignores his desperate command to dodge the stab

He feels a deathening pain

He lets out a muffled scream

The Joker’s eyes still mocking

Her grip thrusts the knife deeper

Twirling it while making a shrieky laughter

With a grin of accomplishment, she fades into nothing.

Jolting awake to his reality

Panting, afraid and drenched

This time he deliberately, slowly, glances to the side

Half expecting her body with the face

Instead, the vacuum where she belonged screamed at him

Causing heart-felt tears to flow down his neck

It was to be the first of many sweet dreams!