A Moment in Time

***The following is just a brief chunk of time in my life.  There is no moral, nothing of interest or value... just a moment in time and a writing exercise.  Nothing more, nothing less.***
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I collapse.  The softness of the bed feels like heaven after a long day at work.  Just twenty minutes.  That's all I ask for.  Please let me sleep for twenty minutes.

Tick. ... Tick. ... Tick. ... Tick. ...

The incessant noise assaults my consciousness with every tick, in perfect harmony with the pounding in my head.  It might as well be a freight train for all I care.  The wall clock is only ten feet away in the bathroom, but it sounds like it is right next to me.

I try to rest, but all I hear is that ticking.

My body says, "sleep.", but my mind screams, "NO!"

The tug-of-war is ongoing.

I hear the bedroom door open.  It stirs me from an almost hypnotic state.  My mind is aware of the intrusion, but my body can't bring itself to see who it is.  "They will go away," I tell myself.  I hear the intruder open a closet door, grab something quickly, and escape as quickly as they came.  Like a thief in the night.  I am irritated by the intrusion.  So I roll over and mentally curse that ticking again.  And the intruder.  I almost forgot it, but the intruder reminded me of it and it blares at my consciousness with every tick, shaking me awake and out of my hypnosis.

My thoughts begin to race as my mind boots up into full awareness again.  I refuse to look at the silent clock of digital numbers next to the bed.  I don't want to know how long I've been in this heavenly half slumber for fear it won't be long enough.  So I just lay there.  A little longer.  Soaking up the peace of the moment.  It just feels so good.

Soon the push to get back to life forces me to move.  I look at the clock after what feels like only a minute or two from the time I collapsed.  Forty-five minutes.  Huh.  I must have slept.  Could it really be that long?  No.  But it has been.  Time never lies.