It is already there when I wake
Gently gnawing at my knees and elbows
"How restful your sleep," it says. "How calm."
"I want to have it for myself."
In that moment
I understand the image of a dragon
Chewing on the roots of the Yggdrasil
And devouring its lifeforce
It finds a place to nestle in me for the day
I move slowly. I don't want to shake it awake.
It comes awake anyway when the sky is grey
Or if I dared to pretend it wasn't there for too long
In that moment
I understand the image of a status effect
In a videogame; ticking away one's HP
A single point at a time
It settles in my fingers when I stitch
Or in my mind as I work the keyboard
"Such beautiful things you make," it croons.
"I want them all to myself."
In that moment
I understand the image of a dead man walking
Waiting for doom he knows to be inevitable
And powerless to intervene
The doctors smile at me as they ask me to leave
People turn away disappointed by my silence
I open my mouth to beg for mercy
And spit out my bitten-off tongue
In that moment
I understand the image of a stone
Being slowly carved out
By dripping water
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