Paranoi’ium
I left myself at home.
Wind through streets, hood over horns/ears/ears.
People walk, their voices behind me, their eyes on my tail/leggings/back.
Their laughter rings false, their laughter/derision points at concepts/ideas/figments/me.
A breath expelled into cold air, unlike anyone else.
I’m a dragon/person/thing/wretch to them, unlike myself.
They’d see me for who I really am, right?
Paws/feet/shoes hit the pavement, wishes/hearts beat faster, fangs/teeth clench.
I’m faster/slower than the knife at my back, the gun at my chest.
My imagination/life ends now?
They’d maim/kill you for who you aren’t/are. Unlike you.
Right?
 
I left myself/who-I-am-supposed-to-be/who-I-am at home/house/building.
There’s no-one/some-one to help/hurt me.
I fly/run toward the bus/door.
Harm awaits inside-outside/everywhere.
Malice grips those who would care|Fear grips me and keeps me close in its fold.
They want me dead. I want me dead.
 
I left ideas behind.
They’re going to see me. The person/effigy/monster they’ve been trained to hunt.
I lost the race home/I beat them to myself/I haven’t escaped them yet/I will never escape them.
I left myself/Arcu’a in the shower|wardrobe|under the bed|the drawer|a drawing book|an internet search|an image|with a bishop|with my partner/abuser|the walls|some friends|other friends|online|on my bed|in a document|at the workplace|in words unsaid|the words you read
They will/will NEVER/will/not/should/won’t/can’t/can find me.
I’ve waited so long for them to catch up. Which one of us is my killer?