"Darkness Before Dawn"

As I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, I couldn't shake the feeling of suffocation that had been weighing me down for weeks. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over my life, casting a shadow over everything I once enjoyed. The world outside my window seemed bright and cheerful, but inside, I was drowning in a sea of anxious thoughts. My mind was a jumbled mess of worst-case scenarios, each one more terrifying than the last. What if I failed my exams? What if I lost my job? What if I couldn't pay my bills? The questions swirled in my head like a never-ending vortex, pulling me down into the depths of despair. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but it was no use. My body felt tense and tight, like a coiled spring ready to snap. I glanced at my phone, which was lying on the bedside table, and saw that it was already 3:45 AM. I had a nagging sense that I wouldn't be able to sleep, that the darkness would consume me whole. As I lay there, I couldn't help but think about how I used to be. I used to be a carefree person, always laughing and smiling. I used to love going out with friends, trying new things, and exploring new places. But over the past year, everything had changed. The anxiety had crept in slowly, like a thief in the night, stealing my joy and my sense of self. I thought about all the times I'd tried to talk to people about how I was feeling, but they just didn't get it. They'd tell me to "snap out of it" or "toughen up," as if it was that easy. They didn't understand that this was a battle I was fighting every day, a battle to stay afloat in a world that seemed determined to drag me down. As the night wore on, I found myself becoming more and more agitated. My heart was racing, and my breath was coming in short gasps. I felt like I was losing control, like I was drowning in a sea of panic. Suddenly, I heard a faint noise coming from outside my room. It was my mom, getting up to make herself a cup of tea. I knew she was a light sleeper, and I worried that she might come in and see me like this, lying in bed and feeling so lost. I quickly threw off the covers and got out of bed, trying to compose myself. I took a few deep breaths and splashed some water on my face, trying to wake myself up. But as I looked in the mirror, I saw a person I barely recognized. My eyes were sunken, my skin was pale, and my hair was a tangled mess. I took a step back, feeling a wave of despair wash over me. Who was this person? What had happened to the happy, carefree person I used to be? And what was I going to do to get my life back on track? As I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, I knew that I had a choice to make. I could let the darkness consume me, or I could take a step forward into the unknown. But which path would I choose?