I think it's more about attracting the right readers. You know, the kind where writing (or reading) 5K words is no problem (when they have the time). I have an unpublished piece that's approaching 10K words with no end in sight. I add to it as a writing exercise over time.

I just published a post of 1200 words or so and had to stop myself there as it could have easily been 3 or 4 times as long.

When you're 'in the zone' the words just pour out of you.

My brain keeps wanting to change your first sentence from "she always was afraid..." to "she was always afraid to put her feet over the edge of the bed." It's an arifact from my writing classes.

My sister had a giant pink snake that she had wrapped around her dresser when I was a kid, and I swear that thing slithered down one night and slowly creeped up at the end of my bed. I'm sure it was just my over-active imagination running wild again. ;)