By Natalie Scott
After Charlotte Perkins Gilman
-
The
walls, like a feral creature–
Like the woman
behind
The yellow
wallpaper, peeking through the
Holes. But you’ve
suspected nothing,
heard
nothing,
And
that makes me angry.
You see no
reason for concern and,
You dismiss my
discontent,
And
that makes me hungry.
So
I guess I’ll just have to sneak up on you
Perhaps
when you’re sleeping on
Your
freshly made bed, your head resting
Blissfully
on the ruffled pillows.
I’ll burrow my
way out of the woodwork, contorting
My body to
escape, and I’ll pounce
Onto
your chest,
Sinking my
claws deep into
Your
skin, leaving jagged pink markings
On
soft flesh. You’ll wake in terror,
Hazel eyes
wide, clutching with your fingers at
The linen
sheets.
I’ll
run out in a flash, escaping
Through the
bedroom window.
Maybe
then you’ll believe me, but
It’ll
be too late– You’ll never see me again.
I’ll be long
gone,
creeping
by daylight.
About the Author
Natalie Scott (she/her) is a young, queer creative writer with a passion for all things feral and feminist. Outside of school, she is a barista, and a maker of all things: drawings, paintings, jewelry, the list goes on and on. She graduated from ICC in May of 2025 and will be transferring to ISU in the fall, where she will study English-creative writing.