The Basement

I continue staring at the wall. If spiders started spilling out of that crack. I don’t think I’d move. My mom thinks I’m weird. I hadn’t spoken for hours but there’s still echoes down here. I could hear her. Coming down to the basement, Step, step, step. I could snap out of it, snap out of it right now… But I wait another beat. Until she is two steps away, So that she hears me gasp and my jaw unclenches. Raspy, guilty, irritable. I don’t want her to think something is wrong. So I go upstairs with her, and pretend. And leave my magical portal behind.