Second Wind

She read everything of any interest to her making sure to tackle the boring stuff first. Newspapers, magazines, blogs, blog of blogs, but she remained unfazed. She masturbated twice, to nothing in particular. There was only black tea in the house and drinking that would run counter to her goal. She even considered running out to the 24 hour store a block away to get some camomile tea, but thought the trip out in the cold would undo any progress toward sleep.

Her alarm clock would ring in four hours. In five hours she had to be at her desk. If she was still awake two hours from now she wouldn't bother trying anymore and that got her thinking about breakfast. At that point food would be necessary since she'd need the energy and food coma doesn't work in the morning so the possibility wasn't too remote. It wasn't clear where she picked up that life lesson but she didn't push locating where because any additional thought would keep her that extra minute awake.

She thought about the unpaid bills and her lagging to-do's and her mind started to numb. recognizing this, she pushed herself to think along that direction where being mentally awake over things of this nature would force her to sit up and take charge, charting a course where things got done. Things that should have already been done. Her head grew heavy and she felt her neck and shoulders release their hold. She wondered how that was when she wasn't trying otherwise.