Being trapped in a silent world, surrounded by walls that block out the sounds of laughter and the warmth of human touch. Days turn into endless loops of solitude, where thoughts race like shadows in a darkened room.

Laughter, pain, sadness, regret, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, hate, joy, grief, guilt, shame, pride, jealousy, envy, empathy, compassion, gratitude, hope, optimism, pessimism, curiosity, confusion, boredom, excitement, anxiety, relief, satisfaction, awe .... none of that do i feel.

Call me crazy, but something's off. It's like I'm watching myself from the outside, a ghost in my own body. I do things I'd never do, say things that aren't me. It's like there's an intruder, a dark, icy presence taking over. I can feel it, a foreign consciousness slipping into my mind, whispering promises of power I don't want. It's a boy, a sinister, mocking voice in my head. He's trapped in me, in this prison of flesh and bone, for some twisted purpose I can't fathom. I'm a puppet on his string, dancing to a deadly rhythm, and the worst part? I don't know the reason.

I've faced shadows the world can't see. Pain, loss, and a darkness that crept into my soul when I was just a child. Twelve, a number burned into my memory like a brand. Something changed that year, a fracture in my reality. Like a seed sown in fertile soil, an evil took root within me, growing in secret, twisting my world from the inside out. I've spent years fighting, clawing my way back from the abyss, but the monster in the mirror never truly leaves.

The once vibrant home, filled with laughter and the usual chaos of family life, had become a hollow echo of its former self. The absence of their daughter was a gaping wound, a constant reminder of the terrifying ordeal they had endured. Her room, untouched, was a shrine to a life abruptly halted. Dust motes danced lazily in the sunlight, casting eerie shadows on the walls, as if mocking the stillness.

The fear that had gripped them during those harrowing days lingered like a phantom, a cold, clammy hand on their hearts. The image of their daughter, eyes filled with a terrifying intensity, performing acts beyond comprehension, was a nightmare that refused to fade. The cliff, the water, the walls, the self-inflicted injuries - all of it was etched into their minds, a haunting tapestry of horror.

Isolation had become their unwanted companion. The world outside seemed distant, unreal. Friends and family offered support, but words felt inadequate in the face of such unimaginable terror. They retreated into themselves, haunted by guilt and helplessness. How could they have failed to protect their child?

Sleep, once a refuge, was now a battlefield. Nightmares replaced dreams, and when they did manage to find respite, they were jolted awake by the slightest sound, their hearts pounding in their chests. The once familiar world was now filled with shadows, and every corner held the potential for a fresh wave of fear.

With each passing day, the weight of their burden seemed to grow heavier. The question of what the future held for their daughter was a constant torment. Would she ever recover? Would she ever be able to live a normal life? These questions echoed in their minds, a relentless torment.

Their lives had been irrevocably altered, a stark and desolate landscape where hope struggled to take root. They were survivors, but the scars ran deep, both visible and invisible. And as they navigated this new, terrifying reality, they clung to the hope that one day, the sun would shine again, and their lives would begin to heal.

The rough ropes bit into my skin, a fiery brand of pain that did nothing to quell the terror in my heart. my mouth was stuffed with a gag, a thick suffocating thing that muffled my screams into desperate gurgles. A shadow looped over me, tall and white, the epitome of sterile authority. A so-called doctor, his eyes cold and distant, tried to begin his invasive examination. With a force, i knew Zephyr had awokened, i snapped the long strong snake made of tiny threads twisted tightly together that felt rough and sturdy. And the world tilted. As i fell, i tasted blood on my lips, realisation dawned on me, my wrists were bleeding from such force. However,  the desperation from not having anything to taste for weeks made me feel alive. I was free or so it felt, but the monster inside me had only just begun to stir.

"Allison, hold on there. Don't move" The doctor's eyes widened in terror as i lunged forword. His footsteps echoed frantically across the sterile white tiles, a desperate symphony of fear. 'However, i was not in control of my own body '.  My body felt alien, a puppet with strings severed, controlled by an unseen malevolent force. With a sickening crack, my neck twisted at an impossible angle, a grotesque mockery of human anatomy. 'Consider me dead for now'. A guttaral, inhumane laughter erupted from my throat, a sound so raw and evil it seemed to scarpe at the very fabric of reality. The doctor's pleas were muffled by the roaring in my ears, a desperate chorus lost in the cacophony of madness.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the transformation ended. A sharp blinding pain exploded in my skull, as if a sledgehammer had shattered my consciousness. Darkness consumed me, and when sight was returned almost immediately, the world was awash in crimson. The doctor lay motionless on the floor, a grotesque tableau of spilled life. Panic seized me as i staggered backwards bleeding from my head and wrists, my mind kept racing to comprehend the horror i had wrought. A chilling realisation washed over me. It was Zephyr- the demon in me. I understood the depths of darkness that lurked within the human soul, and the terrifying potential for evil to consume the most innocent souls.

A piercing alarm echoed through the hospital, summoning the strongest. They burst into a chaotic scene: Dr. Ellis lay motionless in a pool of crimson. Fear and determination gripped them as they faced the aftermath of a dark force that had invaded their sanctuary. The once sterile room was now a chilling crime scene.

The demon in me wiped the blood over my head letting out a gruesome laughter that created fear in the hearts of the strongest. A strange calm washed over me. It was as if the tempest raging inside my mind had finally found a harbor. The creature, the dark, monstrous part of me, seemed to retreat into a shadowy corner. It was a strange sensation, a mix of fear and exhilaration. I had done it. I had subdued the beast. A flicker of hope ignited within me. Perhaps there was a chance for me to be normal, to live without the constant threat of darkness. But that hope was quickly extinguished. A sharp, acrid scent filled my nostrils, a scent that was both familiar and utterly terrifying. It was the herald of something sinister, something far worse than the monster within. I felt a cold dread creep into my heart as the world around me began to fade to black.

Trapped within a solitary chamber devoid of any entry or exit. It was like a prison of steel, its surface marred by the ravages of time, the galvanized coating etched with flaws that seemed to leer in the dim, artificial light.

I have been in this prison for days or so it felt. My thoughts have gone beyond the comprehensible. Realizing I couldn't be a prison in my own body no more, couldn't be controlled no more, live no more in isolation, and cannot abandon my parents who must and are always gruesomely worried about their only daughter. However, they have no choice but to keep me here.

I've done things beyond imagination, beyond the brain could ever comprehend, beyond mankind 'thanks' to Zephyr. Yet still breathing due to his powers rubbing off on me. This pitch darkness and extreme isolation from my kind is beyond the thinking. I have to help myself before others can help me. I have to get rid of the demon before it get rid of me. Time was running out. Every second was precious, a grain of sand slipping through an hourglass. The clock ticked relentlessly, a constant reminder of the finite nature of existence. 3 years have been wasted but no more will.

Zephyr, a malevolent entity, has been a sinister presence within me for three years. His arrival unexplained and unwelcomed marked a stark transformation in my life. Once a carefree child bathed in the warmth of affection-Memories, I lived in a world painted with hues of innocence and joy. That idyllic existence shattered an ordinary afternoon, a day etched incredibly in my memory, a day never to be forgotten, a day I wished and could have sworn to be a dream.

‹‹‹‹‹ FLASH BACK ‹‹‹‹‹

The park was a verdant oasis, a splash of color against the city's concrete canvas. Towering trees, their leaves whispering secrets in the gentle breeze, cast dappled shadows on the emerald grass. A riot of flowers, in every hue imaginable, painted a breathtaking masterpiece at the park's heart. It was here, on a sun kissed afternoon that Allison, her parents, her friends and their parents had gathered for a preschool reunion.

Allison and her friends all had fun. Played cards, took selfies, played pretend and their conversations danced from the excitement of the upcoming school year to the mundane details of everyday life.

"Allison, pass the card, what are you thinking?" Maya had asked. Maya was the life of the little get together.

"She's thinking about Dylan, right?" Sarah intervened, and they burst into laughter.

Dylan was the lonely kid at school. Nobody really knew him and only a few talked to him. However, Sarah and Maya had a knack for pushing Allison's buttons by often using Dylan as a playful target for their teasing.

As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows over the park, a sense of melancholy crept into their laughter. Tomorrow the carefree days of Summer would give way to the structured routine of school. The friend group couldn't wait for the next day. It was much too obvious, barely looking at their eyes. Excitement was clearly written.