they locked the door
it was the kindest thing
they could have done
but it was no good

he hadn’t realised it before
but they had
unwittingly
locked him inside there
with himself

there was no way around it

that’s exactly what they had done

and now his self started
eating him alive
starting at the toes and slowly working its way up
soft slime of saliva
half felt bright sharpness of teeth
before too long there wouldn’t be anything left
but himself

grinning vacantly
at the tv
and occasional visitor