The Awakening

They're lined up in a perfect row. Like soldiers going to battle. But they're not soldiers. They're her pills, her best friends. She's lost count of how many bottles are in that cabinet. Little orange bottles but more like little orange life preservers. She even nicknamed each one: Relief, Relaxation, Clarity, Balance and Calmness. Her friends deserved proper names after all. None of that medical mumbo-jumbo bullshit you can hardly pronounce. No long disclaimers in commercials that are so fast, you can't even make out a single word. They're really good friends. How she could live in this world without her friends is beyond imagination. Being herself without them just isn't an option anymore. Unconditional support is what they gave her. They've been through thick and thin together. Ups and Downs - well, mostly downs. Through it all, they were there for her when no one else was. No one understood her like they did. No one knew her like they did. They never judged or made fun. They never questioned her. They just gave her what she needed the most. Their company.

For awhile, she tried not taking them. They just stood there, in their usual spots. Ready. She felt weak. Pitiful. She couldn't do it for long. She thought she was strong enough. She had lived through some shit. She could definitely do it, she told herself. She underestimated It's power. One day, It took over and wouldn't let her go. She sat, scared and wondering when It would go away. It never did. It stayed, like a terrible houseguest who made himself at home. She tried to be strong, but It was much stronger. She was no match. She fought and resisted, but nothing worked. It had control and was here to stay. Finally, she succumbed to It's power and she had to go to her friends for help. Her loyal, best friends. And they did their jobs. She felt like she was floating away. Away from It, even though It was still there, following her every move. She still felt It's presence, so she visited a few more friends. They did the trick. Her mind swirled into oblivion and It's memory started to fade. She counted how many friends she talked to - eight. Much more than usual. She was drifting off. Blackness started to surround her. She tried to fight it, to no avail. In her periphery, she spots It. Standing. Waiting. She sleeps.