Prayer in the Dark
"Hail Mary, full of grace the lord is with you. Blessed are you among all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." I rolled a new bead between my thumb and forefinger, starting the prayer again. Sitting cross legged on my bed, my desk lamp flickered on and off, making shadows dance along the walls. Outside my window, perpetual darkness reigned. I continued my prayers, speaking every word in their proper order with the correct nuances, imbuing each word with the force of my fear and belief. Because if I stopped praying, if my concentration even strays for a moment, bad things will happen. I could feel it from the dead silence. The kind that waits, and watches you with unblinking eyes. It knows you're there but you can't see it so your imagination takes its place and you find yourself closing your eyes and wishing for it to go away. The door to my bedroom opened an...