Fear

Creaking wood
burns my ears,
bringing to life
my biggest fears:
there's a stranger
in my home
where I am
no longer alone.
I try to go
look up the stairs
but am frozen by
my paralysis in the air.
I can only
slightly move my
head to look
up towards the sky
to the next floor
where the sound
was first discovered
and first found
to see if
the ceiling gives
any clues as to
what above me lives.
My mind begins
to quickly race
as it refuses
a slower pace
but instead
continually goes
as outside
the wind blows
harder and harder
upon the window
that now creaks
and moves so slow.
Fear cripples
my every move
until it causes
my body to improve
to a walking
motion not
before accomplished
though it ought.
I gradually make
my way up,
so slowly,
nothing abrupt.
I pursue it,
the shadow that
exceeds imagination,
this Cheshire Cat.
I go to prove
that fear controls
nothing of mine,
that is has no hold
until the creature
I go after
grabs my soul
with a haunting laughter.
The consumption of
my being quickly
eradicates my mind
from it's existence, ever sickly.
That which I
convinced myself
was not to be feared
was worst than fear itself,
my lesson learned
as my soul paid,
nothing left
but a corpse to be laid.