slice

when i sleep

i like it dark.

like a blindfolded man,

with an apple on his head

too scared to see the arrow

stab through his face.

when i sleep

i like it dark

so when that soft,

yellow shaft of moonlight

squeezed through my shutters

i squinted

and pulled away.

when i sleep

i like it dark

because i can't see the creatures

under my bed

and i was surprised

to see that slice of moonlight

was actually comforting.

there was a balance,

between light and dark,

and the world was at peace again.

my eyes adjusted.

the world got less and less dark.

i could suddenly see the edges of my room

the outline of my desk

the silhouette of my closet door.

but where there is light

the monsters show themselves.

shadows

slithering

a smile

a claw

whirls around me,

a cyclone of nightmares.

demons dance in

what used to be

just a

slice.