Image 3

T?? ???? ????????

          "What is this place?" I was lost in an abyss of terror. I could feel hot breath on my neck, sweat beading down my cheek, and fear rushing up my spine and into my stomach. Although I could not describe this... feeling, I knew that I was going to either be very much alive or be very much not alive soon.

          As I ran down the street that exited town, I felt time begin to slow. My movements became sluggish, but so did my pursuer's. I felt my self freeze in place. I moved, but I didn't move. I tried moving one foot, but someone--no, some thing--held it in place. I struggled to free myself from this force, but it was all in vain. Then I saw a shadow cast on my gaze. I dared not to look up. But as I turned my eyes to the night sky, only a human--or what I thought was a human--blocked my view; this figure had white, beady eyes that somehow penetrate your mind into what you've seen and heard. He pointed to his hand. I looked at his hand. In that hand was a teddy bear. One from my youth. One that has comforted me when I needed it most. One that loved me when she left. One that told me not to cry, that she was only hiding and would come back and love me.

          Then it hit me. I realized that I knew how I had gotten here. I realized that I knew this figure. I realized that I knew my purpose. I realized that this was all a wacky dream! Just a figment of my imagination! So I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers, as I always do to exit dreams. But as I opened my eyes again, I was back where I started. I was back to the beginning of the end.

          I was home.

         And the figure stood right where he was standing in town.

         Directly above me.

         And he pulled me down to hell.

Image 2

Image 1

Project TOY

???

Fight him to be no longer
Save her to no longer be
Redo what was undone
Undo what was redone
-----
??Y
I sometimes play with the wolf.

I sometimes dance with the blades.
I sometimes hold the blades.
I sometimes hurt the wolf.

I always see the wolf.
I always hold my doll-y tight.
I always hear the whispers;
"Pull in, pull out, and run."

I sometimes see her there.

I sometimes see a blade.

I sometimes see him there.

I sometimes see her red.

I never look at his eyes.

I always stare at her.

I never see the whispers

that always bang in my eyes.
-----
?OY
Fear can be a superstition

Fear can stimulate panic that isn't real.
Panic can lead to running from an invisible force
Running can lead to tripping down an infinite hole.
An infinite hole can lead to him.
He can lead you to Death.
Death can avoid you and take her.

But are you willing to risk this burden?

What if there's a third option?
What if the group can defend you and her?
What if Death died?
What if you died?
What if she died?
What if...
-----
TOY
I always play with the wolf.
He always helps me along.
He never, ever hurts me,
but tells me to hurt him.

I always heard the voices,
rasping down my throat.
I never obeyed this one:
"Fear is just a superstition.

Fear can become him.
He can become Death.
Death can take her."
But I asked if Death can die.

I always saw the wolf,
even as I dreamt.
But I always collide with her,
falling down the forever hole.

Am I willing to take the risk?
To redo what was undone?
To let the whispers take me?
To always see her in red?

Or can I make a third way–
undoing the redone?
To stop the banging eyes?
To take upon the burden?

What if I no longer was?
What if I no longer waited?
What if I no longer knew?
What if–

What if I...
                     ...I stared?