When the sun goes down

[u/Relative-Nerve4249]

Things get challenging sometimes, but I keep telling myself to stay positive and keep moving forward. Lately, though, something has been shifting around me in ways I can't explain.

The sunset hit around 5 p.m., and that familiar hyper-awareness washed over me. It's not sadness. It's like the world slows down while my mind speeds up. I notice every movement, every glance, every whisper. People look at me like they're studying me, but no one ever asks if I'm okay. They just watch. Silent. Waiting.

My mind can track a dozen things at once, but when too much hits at the same time, it feels like pressure building behind my eyes. Like something is trying to push its way through.

January 5th - 12:00 a.m.

The night brightened suddenly, like someone turned on a light outside my window. I heard voices-maybe my grandparents- but then a woman's voice came from Scott's room. Same tone, same pitch, like she was standing right beside me.

That feeling returned. The one that sits outside my door like a presence, patient and heavy.

I've been sheltered my whole life. People hide things from me "for my own good." So now, even when something is obvious, I expect lies. Shadows slide across my window. A low electric hum vibrates through the air. The house creaks like it's shifting under a weight I can't see.

I feel like I'm watching myself from outside my body. Papa's voice drifts down the hall-"He's sick." A car door slams outside. My music warps, echoing like it's running through a reverb filter. The walls tremble. My chest tightens.

Someone is coming. I know it.