Fuseli's Nightmare

That final breath catches
in her spider web larynx.
That final scream is snared,
woven into a lace labyrinth.
She is suspended
in a ghastly, gargoyle nightmare.
Scared, her metronome accelerates.
Paralyzed pupils
Stare into a macabre eclipse.
Sprawling shadows awaken,
Crawling up white walls,
Creeping across creaking floorboards.
Adrenaline rushes through manikin limbs
Her lungs burn with muted screams.
The bed sheets bind her down
with the weight of a million fears,
left at the mercy of the incubus.
A shadow noose clasps her neck
As she gasps for breath.
And in a flash she awakens
Her skeleton aching.
The shadows retreat into a dark corner
Lying in wait.