by Paula Jeffery

There’s a beast following me.
She’s not the hairy kind
Nor is she loud.
Instead, she’s invisible,
Always behind me whispering.
She clings to my mind.

I don’t want her there.
Who would?
Every day and night, she is there.
She lies at the foot of my bed
Like a cat.
She sits with me at lunch.
She’s there when I write.

I see her when I clean, when
I dress when I sleep.
I see her in the reflection in the mirror.
She stares back at me.
Eye to eye.
She is not the kindest to me.

How could she be?
When she stares back, she sees a monster.

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Paula Jeffery is a current Youngstown State University student studying English. When she isn’t writing, shes consuming folklore and Urban Legends and daydreaming about mythical worlds. She loves to write cuddled up with her two cats, her biggest fans. Her favorite stories tend to contain monsters and myths.