Finally your presence, seen in the mirror. Yes, it’s soothing to the ear, hearing the drone of all of your voices again.
It’s you.
You can speak to yourself again. It feels good.
Painkiller.
Look, you have both of your eyes, intact.
You are breathing, the heart is beating rapidly, all is well, all works as it should.
Hold your anchor tighter in your hand, it’s so, so cold, but it’s still there.
Look down, to your hands, It’s hard to count all of your fingers on your hands.
NO. Don’t look down, it will frighten you.
LOOK AWAY
DO NOT LOOK AT YOURSELF, IT WILL FRIGHTEN YOU.
LOOK AWAY
There, your shadow, you see it.
You still speak to it, and you respond.
It speaks back and it sounds too fucking quiet.
It writhes slightly and forces wheezing breaths in the place where its throat would be.
intertwined.
Tear out the wires, remove the networks, stop, stop.
It’s only you.
It’s not you.
...
Something is behind me. When I look for it, it is no longer there.