the seduction of sleep.

Her eyes fell shut: the weight of those lids finally became too much to bear. The world disappeared in an instant. There were no sounds to pierce her ears; no sights to blind her eyes; no smells to invade her nostrils; no tastes to soil her tongue; no sensations to abrase her skin – reality did not exist behind those veiled windows. In its place was a gentle warmth, which permeated her exterior and brought glow to her very core. A fire had been lit, but rather than the expected burn, it soothed. It quelled the evils within and returned them to the box from which they had escaped. She felt no anxiety; no stress; no fear – the day’s toll had been paid.

A sweet lullaby sang in her mind. Siren’s voice called out to her. Hush, she lulled. Hush.

Come to my bosom,
Let me embrace you.
Let me protect you
From hexes and voodoo.

Promises of bliss, whispers of ethereality. Such temptations, she could not resist. She dare not resist. She let herself succumb to the seductions of sleep, and let the blade from her hand.