In the blink of an eye, you might suddenly feel
That your world's been invaded by all things unreal.
They slink up behind you, and don't make a sound,
But there's nothing to fear...if you don't turn around.
In the pit of your stomach there rests a device
That can calculate how fast your blood turns to ice;
It measures the temperature nightmares will start,
Then divideas it by beats of a terrified heart.
At the foot of your bed lies a blanket of fear,
You might think it's quite safe, but it's always quite near.
When its steel-woolen quilting wraps 'round you one night,
You will learn that it's not only bedbugs that bite.
At the top of the stairs there's an attic I've found,
That remained even after the house was torn down,
And it's filled with cobwebs of lonely old dreams,
Which have grown into nightmares that swing from the beams.
At the mouth of a cave lives a shadow of doubt;
If you dare to go in, will you ever come out?
Are there creatures who lurk where it's too dim to see?
Can you hear when they move? Are you scared yet? (Who, me?)
At the edge of the earth flows a river of fear,
And it pours into space day by day, year by year.
As you shoot the cold rapids, and stray far from shore,
Do you notice your lifeboat has just lost an oar?
In the eye of the storm stands a ghost of a chance,
And around her all spirits are destined to dance.
She turns a cold gaze toward an unlucky few-
Don't dare to look now, for she's staring at you.
At the end of the world stands a giant steel door,
And what lies beyond it, nobody's quite sure...
Is it crystal-clear heavens, or night blazing hot,
And which is more frightening: knowing or not?
In the face of the future we fly on our own,
Hoping our wings never turn into stone.
If you fall from that sky to the sea, will you drown?
Well, there's no need to worry...unless you look down.
At the back of your mind, there's a hole open wide,
Where the darkness is creeping in from the outside.
You can light rows of candles to cast the dark out,
But it's always there hiding...
...in shadows of doubt.
SHADOWS OF DOUBT
BY: NEAL SHUSTERMAN
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