Phase 1

This one starts as an itch.
An itch under my skin, one that won’t go away with a simple scratch.

Then, it grows.
It grows and spreads and multiplies. This incessant itch lives inside my chest, below my collar bones, where my ribs meet in the middle.
The itch gets heavy as its metastasizing and filling my entire chest cavity. My lungs are heavy, weighted. It’s all that occupies my thoughts.

I forget to breathe.
The lack of oxygen is almost refreshing because I can finally feel something that isn’t that stupid itch.