Read on Twitter
You Have No Power Over Me
With a scream and a jolt, a man woke up from yet another nightmare in his bedroom.
As usual, he found himself on the floor. He must have fallen off his bed while trying to escape the monster who had been haunting him.
With a scream and a jolt, a man woke up from yet another nightmare in his bedroom.
As usual, he found himself on the floor. He must have fallen off his bed while trying to escape the monster who had been haunting him.
The nightmares had been going on for almost two years now and one would think that such a long time would make anyone get used to them.
But for this middle-aged man such a feat was simply impossible.
How could he get used to the reminders of his past trauma?
But for this middle-aged man such a feat was simply impossible.
How could he get used to the reminders of his past trauma?
The man propped himself up on his elbows and carefully stood up, using the bed and his nightstand as support.
It was then that a young woman, young enough to be his daughter, entered the room, almost barging in.
Her worried face says it all. She heard the scream.
It was then that a young woman, young enough to be his daughter, entered the room, almost barging in.
Her worried face says it all. She heard the scream.
“Are you okay?!” she rushed to the man and helped him lean on a wall.
He shook his head.
He knew that he could be honest with her and that she would never judge him, much unlike most other people.
“Nightmare.” he stammered in a croaking voice.
He shook his head.
He knew that he could be honest with her and that she would never judge him, much unlike most other people.
“Nightmare.” he stammered in a croaking voice.
She sighed.
Seeing her friend in that state was nothing new to her but that was the problem.
It meant that he would have to continue his therapy sessions to deal with the issue.
“Shhh...It’s okay.” she whispered gently. “I’m here. The nightmare is gone. He is not here.”
Seeing her friend in that state was nothing new to her but that was the problem.
It meant that he would have to continue his therapy sessions to deal with the issue.
“Shhh...It’s okay.” she whispered gently. “I’m here. The nightmare is gone. He is not here.”
It was true. The monster was not there.
But that didn’t stop him from haunting his former victim every single night.
“Now then, would you like me to make you some warm milk? You need to go back to sleep.” the young woman smiled sadly.
But that didn’t stop him from haunting his former victim every single night.
“Now then, would you like me to make you some warm milk? You need to go back to sleep.” the young woman smiled sadly.
He nodded and proceeded to mutter something under his breath.
Just one word:
“Sorry...”
He didn’t want to impose on his only friend. At least, not in any additional ways, since he felt like he had already been imposing on her hospitality for the last two years.
Just one word:
“Sorry...”
He didn’t want to impose on his only friend. At least, not in any additional ways, since he felt like he had already been imposing on her hospitality for the last two years.
“Don’t be.” she replied while helping her friend walk back to his bed.
Even after intensive physical therapy, he was having trouble walking as he had been able to start doing it again only recently.
The young woman sat her friend down on his bed and left the room for a while.
Even after intensive physical therapy, he was having trouble walking as he had been able to start doing it again only recently.
The young woman sat her friend down on his bed and left the room for a while.
She did return five minutes later, of course, sleepy and visibly tired, with a mug of warm milk mixed with honey.
“Drink. This should help.” she sat down on the bed as well.
She kept a bit of a distance because after what had happened to him the man really needed space.
“Drink. This should help.” she sat down on the bed as well.
She kept a bit of a distance because after what had happened to him the man really needed space.
Gratefully, her friend took the mug and took a sip. He looked at the woman, his eyes full of guilt.
“I’m sorry.” he said again. “I did not mean to bother you, especially during your finals...”
The woman smiled softly.
“It’s fine. You’re more important. We’re friends.”
“I’m sorry.” he said again. “I did not mean to bother you, especially during your finals...”
The woman smiled softly.
“It’s fine. You’re more important. We’re friends.”
Friends.
The man had thought he would never hear this word again.
Yet nothing else could describe him and the young woman as well as that word.
After all, she did take him, a mere homeless stranger, in after that “accident” and had been through everything with him.
The man had thought he would never hear this word again.
Yet nothing else could describe him and the young woman as well as that word.
After all, she did take him, a mere homeless stranger, in after that “accident” and had been through everything with him.
Physical and psychological therapy, nightmares, panic attacks and even a few suicide attempts. He had gone through it all and his rescuers was with him all the way, never asking for anything in return, all because that car had hit him in front of her house.
He took a few more sips of milk.
“It’s the same nightmare again, isn’t it?” his only friend’s eyes met his.
He could only nod.
She already knew the cause of his trauma and how those night terrors would always unfold.
“I see. We should mention it to your therapist.”
“It’s the same nightmare again, isn’t it?” his only friend’s eyes met his.
He could only nod.
She already knew the cause of his trauma and how those night terrors would always unfold.
“I see. We should mention it to your therapist.”
He drank more milk.
“Are you feeling a bit better now?” she looked at the man. “You should try to go back to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.” she did her best to sound reassuring.
“And a new visit to the therapist.” he sighed. “What if I never recover? What did you see in me?”
“Are you feeling a bit better now?” she looked at the man. “You should try to go back to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.” she did her best to sound reassuring.
“And a new visit to the therapist.” he sighed. “What if I never recover? What did you see in me?”
“You WILL recover.” she responded as her friend emptied the mug. “I’ll be by your side to make sure that you will. And what do you mean by your last question?”
“I’m a broken man.” he sighed. “No friends. No family. The one who claimed to love me just used me and left me.”
“I’m a broken man.” he sighed. “No friends. No family. The one who claimed to love me just used me and left me.”
“You’re not broken, no matter what that bastard may have told you. You don’t deserve anything of what he did to you. As for me, I saw a beautiful human being in need of help that I happened to be able to provide.”
He nodded, placed his mug onto the nightstand and lay down.
He nodded, placed his mug onto the nightstand and lay down.
The young woman tucked her friend in.
“What if he haunts me again?” he asked her in a shaky voice. “He always does so, without fail. My scars are a testament to the fact that he is still there. Still in my life.”
“He has no power over you. Scars can heal. Trust me, they can.”
“What if he haunts me again?” he asked her in a shaky voice. “He always does so, without fail. My scars are a testament to the fact that he is still there. Still in my life.”
“He has no power over you. Scars can heal. Trust me, they can.”
“He has no power over me?”
He found those words to be hard to believe.
“Exactly. You’re more than your trauma. What he did doesn’t define you. It never have and it never will. You’re stronger than you think. I believe that you can heal. I believe in you.”
He found those words to be hard to believe.
“Exactly. You’re more than your trauma. What he did doesn’t define you. It never have and it never will. You’re stronger than you think. I believe that you can heal. I believe in you.”
The man tried and failed to hold back the tears of gratitude that were welling up in his eyes.
His savior knew that he needed to hear those words.
“Thank you.” he said sincerely. “For everything.”
She smiled and yawned sleepily, covering her mouth with her rough hand.
His savior knew that he needed to hear those words.
“Thank you.” he said sincerely. “For everything.”
She smiled and yawned sleepily, covering her mouth with her rough hand.
“Pay it forward.” she said with an exhausted smile.
Her eyes were kind and sad. Bags and dark circles under them were the result of all the sleepless nights she had spent by her friend’s side, calming him down after nightmares and panic attacks.
Her eyes were kind and sad. Bags and dark circles under them were the result of all the sleepless nights she had spent by her friend’s side, calming him down after nightmares and panic attacks.
It was not easy.
She knew that even her university friends thought that taking in a stranger and caring for him was a bit too altruistic and reckless, even for her.
She also knew that her bullies had been been spreading rumors about her and her friend being secret lovers.
She knew that even her university friends thought that taking in a stranger and caring for him was a bit too altruistic and reckless, even for her.
She also knew that her bullies had been been spreading rumors about her and her friend being secret lovers.
Even some of her family members didn’t understand why she would help a stranger, despite knowing full well that she could never leave a person in need in good conscience.
Yes, caring for her friend was far from easy.
But she never complained.
Yes, caring for her friend was far from easy.
But she never complained.
That night, she stayed in the bedroom by her friend’s side until he was sound asleep.
She had done so many times before.
But that night was different.
Just as she stood up and prepared to leave, she heard him mutter in his sleep, saying just one simple sentence:
She had done so many times before.
But that night was different.
Just as she stood up and prepared to leave, she heard him mutter in his sleep, saying just one simple sentence:
“You...have no power...over me.”
As soon as he said that, he smiled, something she had never seen him do before.
For the first time in two years, he was smiling, albeit in his sleep, and that was an excellent sign.
As soon as he said that, he smiled, something she had never seen him do before.
For the first time in two years, he was smiling, albeit in his sleep, and that was an excellent sign.
Of course, that didn’t mean that her friend’s journey to recovery was over.
Healing takes time and she knew that.
But she believed in him. She knew things would get better.
And she would be there for him every step of the way.
Healing takes time and she knew that.
But she believed in him. She knew things would get better.
And she would be there for him every step of the way.
