My eyes want to shut, but there’s something running through my blood that keeps everything awake. Fear? Anxiety? Ambition? Completion? I feel a vise settling on my head. The eyes blink, and there’s a strain to open them again. A faint stab that goes unnoticed.

But the rest of my body? It wonders if I am catching a cold. My throat feels itchy. At the gasp of water or other liquid, it chokes a little bit. And I consciously resist because I am usually in public settings. I breathe slowly hoping to let the wince fade.

I just want to stop. Lie here for a moment and stop. I want the silence to settle around me like a thick blanket, enveloping me. Giving me a safe place.