Insomniac

              BY: Irish Guy

Nothingness. I lay open eyed on my bed, staring at nothing. I’m just lying on my bed, unable to sleep, and my eyes can’t adjust to the darkness. Tonight, even my clock/radio is a green blur. I hear a beep and I know it’s my dad’s watch, signaling that another hour has passed. The time? It’s somewhere between 12 o’clock to 5 o’clock am. At twelve o’clock, everything in my house stops. My parents wake up, realizing they fell asleep watching their late-night programs, turn off the T.V. set, and go back to sleep. At 5 am, I drift off in my thoughts, and fall asleep, only to be brutally awakened by the sound of my brother getting in the shower only an hour later. Insomnia. Nothing can be done to cure it’s ail. The doctors? They only say, “Get more exercise and eat better…I’m sure that’s all it is” When it’s a lack of exercise, it’s not insomnia you’re just hyper.

          I look at my clock/radio, it reads ‘5:29’. I get up, turn on my light, wait a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the light, and look at my clock again. ‘5:21’.

“Piece of shit” I say, frustrated that I’m loosing more sleep by the day. I go back to bed, tired, but not so pissed-off anymore. Some people can stay up late, knowing that they can make up for it later in the day, perhaps in class…I don’t have that kind of security.

                                                             ***

‘5:59’

          I look again, my clock reads ‘5:59’ yet it seemed like only a second ago, it was half past five. Then I hear the shower running. So I get up (reluctantly) and get ready for school.