Only Words

Her captor looms over her,
Dark by the light of the flames.
She cringes,
He lifts his fist and
Pounds into flesh that gives way
Against his hand.
He clutches his arms and
Stumbles away,
Terrified at the pain he has wrought.
Only there is no fist,
No flames,
Just words and emotions,
Boiling in a memory of confusion.
She wakes up,
Drenched with sweat in the middle
Of the night,
Gasping for air
As she sobs into the silence.
He doesn't mean her harm,
So how can he see if he's infflicting it?
She wishes it would end.
She contemplates ending it,
But the void of afterwards is too great
To bear.
How would she continue without him?
So she sinks back into
Twisted realities of
Hurt and comfort
Beneath his caressing hands...