Lilith

Lilith woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, shivering and covered in sweat. Outside, thunder rumbled; heavy rain pelted the window.

Lilith's head pounded with pain -- a side effect of the many psychiatric drugs she takes.

Suddenly, a bright bolt of lightning lit up the entire room. She clearly saw the writing on the labels on the myriad of pill bottles on her nightstand.

The pills are a reminder her day is dictated by a medication regimen. Three pills in the morning before eating; two pills during breakfast; a pill during lunch; three pills before bed.


Doctors have continuously prescribed Lilith pills to help her. But in the end, they fill her days and nights with agony.


Just thinking about it made her want nothing more than to grab them and fling them across the room. She wanted to hear the pills rolling under the bed, where they would be forgotten. And over time, they would get covered in dust.


Lilith rose from her bed to walk to her bathroom to splash cold water on her face. But as she stood, a dizzy spell overcame her. The walls moved, trading places with the floor. She quickly put her right hand on the wall to maintain balance. But it wasn't enough.

A bright lightning bolt flashed and thunder clapped as she fell forward, hitting her head on the wooden floor and knocking week-old newspapers off a table.

In pain, she just lay on the floor, listening to the rain hit the window. She didn't try to stand back up.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.