Night

The candles are lit and I sit in the center
I feel a drag in my stomach as I breathe
I feel my pulse, I feel my heart's rhythm
Slow and steady but strong
I look down at the open book
My lips begin to speak the words from the page,
My heart beats faster
I breathe harder
My lips keep going reciting every word exactly
I start to shake feeling tingling running through me
Beads of sweat start to run down my face
The flames start to dance
This electric feeling grows
Racing up my spine through my finger tips
Still I speak on verbatim,
Time keeps passing
Spinning and swirling around me
Reality becomes a dream as I slip into
My subconscious
I start to feel numb and my head feels weightless
My heart pounds in my chest
My breathing echoes in my head
I start to recite the last few lines
Before I can start the last line
I can't breathe...