Darkness built to a crescendo, screeching nails silently around the walls.
Amber tightened her body ball, scrinching her eyes more tightly, squeezing her ear channels closed.
Noise and darkness penetrated her best walls.
Nobody was coming to help. Mom was at work. Dad was fast asleep.
Unknowns tore at her fingers, pulling them from her head. She tucked them into her chest.
The ball of fear in her chest ate its way outwards.
She started to breathe more and more rapidly, her head feeling lighter and lighter.
Sleep.
Sunlight crowded through the window.
Her body was uncoiled, relaxed and tangled with her bedclothes. The birds yelled greetings.
She rolled out of bed, into her clothes, out the back door and up the tree.
Joshua waved and yelled.
Charlie Wilkins - a smattering of writings 