Prologue
Darkness. A phenomenon that I encountered the most. In my dreams and even in my reality. I'm sick of it. Though, an escape was impossible. I can't just evade it. It enveloped me in the unexpected situations and danger seemed to have impeccable timing with it.
I used to be afraid of the dark. The 'monsters' that lurked inside it, assessed every move I made. I was scared to make any noise and I'm convinced that 'bogeyman' can hear my rushed heartbeat.
Sometimes, I just sat up on my bed, unable to sleep. Fearing the second I closed my eyes the 'monsters' will strike at me. Of course I'm comforted by my parents who woke up due to my sudden scream in the middle of the night or the fact that I kept my lights on.
Even with comforting words, I can't calm myself down. Once, I ever hyperventilate after having quite a nightmare and waking up to darkness seemed to worsen it. I was brought to the hospital in emergency.
I spent about a week in the hospital because my vitals were unstable. My pulse was erratic and I constantly felt faint. Various tests were conducted but the doctors had trouble to diagnose my condition.
Miracle came as I suddenly become healthy. All the symptoms gone mysteriously and after convincing the doctors, I was finally released.
My parents agreed to leave my bedside lamp on for the rest of the night in fear of repeating the incident. They also took me to see the counsellor for my frequent nightmares. I was relieved of my phobia after a few sessions.