The Fear of Failure (Patreon)

She couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned on her bed, feeling restless and anxious. She had a big presentation tomorrow, and she was nervous about it. She had worked hard on it, but she wasn’t sure if it was good enough. What if she messed up? What if her boss didn’t like it? What if she lost her job?

She tried to calm herself down by reading a book, but it didn’t help. She put the book on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but her mind was racing with thoughts and worries. She opened her eyes again and looked at the window. The curtains were drawn, but she could see the faint glow of the moonlight. She wondered if anyone else was awake at this hour, feeling the same way as her.

She got up from her bed and walked to the window. She pulled the curtains aside and looked outside. The street was quiet and dark, except for a few streetlights. She saw a car parked across the street, with a couple inside. They seemed to be kissing and cuddling, oblivious to the world around them. She felt a pang of envy and loneliness. She wished she had someone to hold her and comfort her, someone to tell her that everything would be alright.

She sighed and let go of the curtains. She walked back to her bed and sat down. She looked at her feet, dangling in the air. She felt like a child, scared of the dark and the unknown. She wished she could go back to simpler times, when she didn’t have to worry about anything. When she could just play and have fun, without any pressure or expectations.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand and checked the time. It was 3:24 am. She had only a few hours left before she had to get up and face the day. She put her phone down and lay down on her bed again. She closed her eyes and hoped that sleep would come soon.

She didn’t notice the small smile that appeared on her face as she drifted off to sleep.