Running head first- and I haven't looked back as I tumble further and further down the rabbit hole. The never ending abyss- the maze which never stops. Which way should I turn? To my left: I'll be surrounded by thick green moss- encroaching on my space- creeping up my spine and spiralling around my rib cage- tying knots in my stomach. I can almost feel it now; skulking down my throat and smothering my breath with every step...

Darkness encages me, surrounding me, it sweeps up beside me- holding my hand softly: leading the way. If darkness could smile, it would smile invitingly, raising its arm to lead the way. But darkness cannot smile. And yet, I follow it blindly anyway.

Like a child, I stumble after my keeper, eager to please, screaming out for the tiniest bit of recognition. I may as well be wagging my tail in anticipation of a reward. But- I still can't keep up, every way we turn I fall further and further into the maze- into the pool of never ending questions. Never ending fears. Never ending.

A shiver crawls up my spine as the wind catches up with us. Safe in its cold, icy embrace; it covers me like a blanket, veiling me. My teeth chatter as I venture further into the darkness. I put my trust in my guide, my leader, my keeper, my friend.

Briefly turning back, a sinking feeling fills up my chest, as I look back as the distant overgrown, mossy pathway. How far have I ventured? How far is there to go? Squinting through the fog, I try to find where I started my journey, but the fog seems to get thicker, blurring my vision. Slowly it swoops towards me, stroking my eyes steadily, until my vision is swarming with nothing but mist. Dense, grey, damp fog clouding my vision. I attempt to open my heavy eye lids, but they are glued together, each eyelash interweaved with the next. Blink, blink, blink. A vice like grip holds them together- stitching my eyelids together, as if they were joined in a thousand intricate knots.

Then I feel it, in the pit of my stomach. Crawling slowly up through my body, like little Alice, trying to claw her way back out of the rabbit hole, she oh so wanted to see. It reverberates within me, shaking my inner core, my inner peace. My scream. My voice. It wants to be heard.

A chilling, slow laughter fills the air. Darkness, my friend, will be with me everywhere.

Elizabeth woke suddenly, gasping for air. Her tiny body shot up like a sling shot, ready to fire into the distance. Her chest moved rhythmically from her body; her breath shallow and fast, her body was desperate for air. She held her hands up to her eyes softly before removing them slowly. Her gaze trailing off to the open window.

"It's OK," she muttered reassuringly to herself, "I can see the stars- I am OK- look at the stars up there."

She had done this many times- awoken- panicked- then looked up at the expanse of the stars in the inky night sky to calm herself down. It was almost methodological, but comforting in some form- from habit mainly.

Her head hit the pillow once more, but the curtain remained slightly open, so she could stare up at the stars, so much bigger and so much older and wiser than she was, before she fell back into her deep slumber. An undisturbed childhood dream.