sleep never came easy.

when you sleep, you're safe. you're cocooned in cotton and eiderdown with your head pressed gently to the time it takes you to breathe deeply.

last night, i twirled my finger in my hair, as i always do. i folded the comforter up under my feet, like i always do. i took the necessary time to calm and sway my beating heart and meddlesome worries, like i always do.

when i fell, it was to the feet of a controlling grimace. i looked up from my knees to my hands that were holding onto the chain he had ripped from my neck. the ring that had been on that chain was on his pinky finger, and he laughed. he held the over the sewer, and with a pleased little chuckle, he mocked my sobbing.

i woke up drenched in sweat and crying still. but come this evening, i had forgotten about the moment at six in the morning completely.

sitting in our frequented pub between two good friends, i turned and laughed at something that she said. i put my whiskey down and felt something brush against my hand. i looked down just in time to see the ring and the chain from my neck ... fall to the floor.

the three of us fell quiet. one of them bent down and picked it up. and she slowly lifted it and put it in my hand.

"how did that..."
"i don't know, i wasn't even touching it..."
"i was just looking at it a minute ago."
"it just ... fell."
"that's odd."
"like he's here."
"why would it just fall?"
"out of no where like that."
"weird."
"yeah."
"it wasn't even coming loose."

and then i told them about my dream.

and we all decided that we needed a cigarette.