I can’t hear anything but the wind and my own heartbeat. thump. thump.thump.   I keep my eyes squeezed shut. If I keep them shut it's not real. If I keep them shut I can’t move. Ten minutes turns into twenty. I can’t stay here. Sweat runs from my hairline down my neck and into my t-shirt. I have to move.

 Keeping my head level I slowly open my eyes. It’s so bright that it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. Once they do it's breathtaking. No. Literally. I cant breathe. I gasp for air but my lungs have shut down completely. My head starts to spin and tears run from my eyes. I start to lose my balance. My body starts to shake uncontrollably but I’m stuck right where I stand.

I’m standing on the edge of the mountain. I couldn’t tell you how far I am from the ground. What I can tell you is that it would absolutely kill me if I fell. I test myself by shifting my weight. I feel the stone under me shift when I do. This is how I die. I try to look behind me, to step away from the ledge, but something holds me here. If I wasn’t so afraid it would be a great view. Thick woods for as far as I can see. Solid green. Like standing on your front porch looking out at a well-kept lawn. The sun is setting directly in front of me. Beautiful. 

The wind has shifted. It’s changed into something dangerous. What was once a calm breeze has become aggressive, angry even. The force of it is enough to push me closer to the edge. It whips my hair around my face and drys the trails from my tears. With every gust, it gets stronger. Forcing me to move closer to the thing I fear the most. I start to panic. There’s no way out. My toes are off of the stone. The heels of my feet are the only things keeping me alive. One last push. I have nothing left. I only fall for seconds but I see everything on the way down. The ground rushes up to me. I knew this would be how I ended.

 Thump. Thump. Thump. Impact.

I wake up covered in sweat, screaming. The sheets from my bed twisted around my legs.  The window is open letting the strong winds from the storm inside. I sit up and lean my head back against the wall. I let out a long uneasy breathe. My whole body is shaking. I push myself up onto my feet and cross the room to close the window. My alarm clock says 2:45 am as I crawl back under the covers.

Stupid nightmares.

• Acrophobia - ac·ro·pho·bi·a - n. An abnormal fear of heights.