Imagine waking

in the dead of night,

stuck inside the shell

I once thought was safe.

My mind is present,

but my control is gone.

And once I am back

in what was before, it seems

that closing my eyes again

means leaving this dream.

Imagine sinking

in the depths of sea

The silence of the blue, 

the absence of the surface

brings my heart to my ears

and my mind in a panic

As the salt fills my lungs,

I wish for what was before.

For an eternity between me

and what lies beyond the shore.

Imagine hiding

in a world of my own confinement,

away from the creatures

that could swallow me whole.

From the bathroom to the kitchen,

every step is a challenge.

Once again, I wonder

of what was before

the feeling of sunlight,

or stepping out the door.

But my fears have consumed me

my troubles, my present persists

The past is now behind me,

what was before no longer exists.