so i was half-asleep you know what i mean. hypnagogic state. the stuff i saw i was half-dreaming half-imagining. i don't know if i was shaping it or it was shaping itself but anyway the witch was surrounded by a squad of soldiers in the forest. and she was smiling evilly and she made each one blow the brains of the next. crescent of blood around her... only i remained.

she made me walk and walk across the desert i was feeling tired. i was taken in by a family of natives and lived with them for a while in a hut or yurt. i made things with them and helped out and my hands were wrapped in bandage. eventually i left.

i tracked her down in New York city. she was in a crummy basement off the sidewalk making meth. a hunched figure with her big squiggly black hair and black eyes. we said some words then i grabbed her by the face and it collapsed in my hands because it was made of sand. i walked out into the night where a soft rain was starting. i felt empty but not new. a coin fell from the sky and got lodged in my forehead. i pulled it out and saw it was only bloody on the one side.

i started waking up and thought about it all. and in the dark room i had this certainty all of a sudden that they're on to me the witch is still onto me after everything that happened in the palace i'm not done paying and they know i'm trying to fight back mentally and they don't like it. and because i knew something was about to happen i rummaged about with my hand looking for my phone to get some light and then it did happen i knocked over the lamp and squealed in terror.

my mom woke up she came into the room. she sat beside me and i calmed down. but then i realized i didn't recognize her. i didn't say anything but i remember reading about this how some people have a neuro thing and are convinced their mother is an impostor. i'm still here supposedly because of the covid restrictions and to save on rent. i'm still here and she's still here.