reaching for walls

she had been alone in the forest at night. she understood darkness. darkness was when the light was gone. darkness was absence. darkness was not what she would have called comforting, but it was not a threat. darkness didn't single her out. darkness could be banished.

this was simultaneously more intimate and more threatening than the darkness she had always known. there were no soft edges or half shadows. this darkness was not made of absence of light. this darkness was presence of all color. this darkness smothered. this darkness singled her out and she could not throw it off or leave it or skirt it or impress or move or change it.

she reached in all directions and there was nothing but the darkness. there were no walls, nothing to stop her moving forever into the darkness, forever away, forever towards...

she began to scream and the presence swallowed her voice and even close inside her there was silence.