Sarah R. New
“vampire”
My body curves against them as I spoon them as they sleep, our chests rising and falling, our bodies in sync. It’s supposed to be romantic. But instead of being a big spoon, I feel more like a barnacle, leeching from them. What am I leeching from them? Time? Health? Energy?
I am a vampire.
I steal from the unknowing, the unwilling, to keep myself going. They awaken tired, as if they haven’t slept. I don’t feel refreshed either, I simply plod on through existence, wading through treacle, my bones weighing me down. I am tired, but I must keep going, I must keep myself alive.
At what cost?
Emotions and actions don’t make sense together. It might not even be a conscious action, to steal from the ones you love. Will they forgive me? Will I forgive myself?
Do you know what I am doing to them?
I hope they forgive me. I hope I can forgive myself.
Sarah R. New (she/her) is 29, from the U.K and is currently hyperfixated on princess cake. She has recently been published in journals including Wishbone Words, Gastropoda, Loft Books and in Broken Olive Branches, a Palestinian charity anthology. Her travel memoir, The Great European Escape is available for free from https://sarahrnew.wordpress.com/. She can also be found online on instagram and twitter at the username @aldbera.
