There is nothing. Nothing at all.
At least, that's what I keep telling myself as I lie awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the hollow silence pressing against the walls. The apartment feels like it stretches further in the dark, each corner swallowed by emptiness. Even the clock ticks faintly, muffled, as if from behind a veil of water.
The dreams, however, have grown more unsettling. Almost every night I find myself plummeting through the same abyss, endless and without horizon. There is no ground, no bottom—only the shrieking wind tearing at my body, the sound of a thousand unseen mouths screaming into my ears. My limbs feel pulled apart by invisible claws, stretched to the point of breaking. I jolt awake with a gasp, chest tight, heart hammering so violently I swear it shakes my skull. My palms are slick with cold sweat, my fingers trembling as though they don't belong to me.
It was in that moment, with my breath still ragged, that I heard it: quick, light footsteps outside my door. Before I could gather myself, the handle turned and she was there—my daughter—her small figure rushing into the room. She threw herself into my arms, her voice shaking. "Daddy, I had a nightmare…" Her hands were icy as they clutched at my shirt, her eyes shimmering with tears.
Something in me cracked. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, stroking her back in slow, steady motions. "It's okay, sweetheart. Daddy's here. There's nothing to be afraid of." She hiccupped against my chest, her small body trembling for a moment, then gradually relaxing as the rhythm of her breathing slowed. Pressed against me, she grew heavier, drowsiness overtaking the fear.
I held her hand in mine, unwilling to let go, as if her warmth alone could anchor me to this world. For those few minutes, the whispers receded, the air stilled. Or maybe I only imagined it. When she finally stirred, rubbing her eyes, she whispered, "I'll go back to my room now…" Her voice was soft, fragile. I kissed the top of her head and nodded. "Go on. I'm right here if you need me."