My friend gave me a prompt at like 1 in the morning a few days ago and I'm actually kind of proud of what I produced while half delirious from lack of sleep

I also didn't really want to make another story, but I wanted to put it somewhere where people could read it if they wanted to, so...

I guess this book is becoming more random than I thought :D

(The prompt is italicized)

Sometimes he visits me. In dreams. But mostly in nightmares.

It started when I was ten. He was only a shadow back then, a whisper of a hint of a presence at the edges of my mind. I barely noticed him there, and sometimes, his plans for me were a nice escape.

And sometimes they were scary.

He preyed off my insecurities and doubts, my fears and my bad experiences, but at first I saw him as an escape.

It was nice to imagine.

He only started really creeping up when I was twelve.

It was after my parents had had another fight.
It had involved me, I think. I don't remember much.

All I know is that I huddled under the covers and next thing I knew he was whispering promises of freedom and  tingeing the edges of my dreams black. I shoved him away, and told him that making my imaginings a reality were not an option.

He retreated, but I could still feel him waiting for my next vulnerability.

I tried hard not to give him that.

After all, I was strong, wasn't I?

That's what everyone always told me.

When dad moved away, "you're strong."

When grandma got sick, "you're strong."

When I was failing badly in school, "you're strong."

And for a while, I believed that.

But you can only battle him and his ideals for so long.

He started to infect me without my realizing. A thought here, a thought there. Sometimes it was overwhelming, and sometimes it was passing.

The lines between dreams and nightmares seemed to blur just as much as the ones between imagination and reality.

Life and death.

I wont finish the story, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

He's a permanent visitor now.

Tell me what you think :)

*Note: This is meant to be interpreted based on the reader's interpretation. No set meaning. You decide ;)