Five: “Terrified by the Shades of Night”

"Terrified by the Shades of Night": 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches - Close-Up

The descent into sleep for most is a gradual and gentle slope, but for Ansel, it's the treacherous face of a cliff. He teeters on the edge, eyelids heavy, desperately craving rest, but the shadows at the periphery of his vision twist and writhe, morphing into monstrous shapes the moment he closes his eyes.

Sleep comes in bursts of light unconsciousness, a battlefield where fleeting moments of peace are shattered by his unwelcome companion. Ansel so desperately wants to chase his dark tenant away but it clings like walking into a spiderweb. His mind becomes a cage of intrusive thoughts circling relentlessly, sharp and insistent: “What if you fall asleep and don’t wake up this time?”

"Terrified by the Shades of Night": 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches

Logic, a normal person's ally, deserts Ansel. Every creak of the floorboard, every rustle of leaves outside the window, fuels the paranoia. 

Sleep, when it finally comes, is a tightrope walk. He clings to the fragile edge of consciousness, terrified of letting go. Even the most mundane thought fragment can morph into a grotesque caricature, threatening to drag him into the hell of catastrophic thinking.

The unwelcome companion is not as aggressive in the harsh glare of day, but only slightly less so. The exhaustion lingers, a heavy weight in Ansel’s chest: “Am I developing symptoms of a cardiac event?” The cycle continues……

"Terrified by the Shades of Night": 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches - Wall Shot