Within the Shadows

Hesitant. Damaged. Gathering the loose material, she, slowly, wraps it against her finger, breathing gently. Quietly. Lifting her head upward, briefly, the remnants of tears streaming the length of her begin to trace against her lips. Beneath strands of dark hair, she shakes her head, attempting to hide the paleness embedded within her skin. Cold. A slight shiver forms within her body.

Turning on her heel, she places the frame of a photograph, the metal freezing against her palm, against the surface of her desk before allowing her eyes to fall on the wick of a candle. She leans forward, gathering her hair within her loose hold, blowing the flickering flame til it dulled. Setting the base down, gently, she fumbles with the edge of her nightgown brushing against her knees. Softly.

Lying against the mattress, her head resting against the material of the pillows, she whispers to herself, words flooding through her body, "Let me fall asleep tonight," She waited while the light slipped from the edge of the window, barely anything streaming through the glass. Neglected. Pulling the sheets up against her, she reminds herself, her throat beginning to dry, "And not remember him."

She silently shifts her position. Uncomfortable. Broken. In her sleep, her fingertips press lightly on the bruise.

:Child abuse nothing like a broken heart: