The sound of clashing lockers and students footsteps echo through the hall. Lifting her backpack she smiles and nods as those passing her mutter goodbye. Reaching her locker she attempts to ignore the girls surrounding her but again they grab her books and chuck them across the now empty hallway. She does nothing but stares blankly as the snickering group walks away laughing. Minutes pass before she has the strength to pick them up again and walk out the door. When she arrives home her mother, just about to leave for work, asks her how her day was. Like always she responds with a smile and brightly exclaims how good it was. Because it’s always good, fine or even ok, never could she tell them how she really felt in fear they might discover her deepest secrets. As she reaches her room the sound of the front door slamming shut echos through the house, she is alone. Not knowing what else to do she sits at the end of her bed and lets tears stream down her reddened face all the while ignoring the buzzing of her frantic phone. What is she expected to do? Forget it and pretend like nothing ever happened? No, it’s already too late for that, dark thoughts have already entered her head. Alone in her room she drifts further away from reality. The voices among the darkness slowly drain her consciousness like a flame dimming from lack of oxygen. She's no longer here right now, all that’s left is the husk of an innocent girl possessed by her own demons. This lifeless being knows nothing more than to obey the voices that reside in her mind. Like a drone she conjures a single razor from its hiding place. Unable to cope with her own emotions alone, she gives into the voices and begins to drag the blade across her skin. 1,2,3,4… now she's lost count as the last bit of herself drains from her head like the blood from her wrist. She stares at the blood shimmering as if it was a river of liquid ruby flowing across a barren desert. She fades closer to the end, her senses dwindling as the only thing she can determine as real is the sound of footsteps running quickly up the stairs. Unable to process the speed at which events are taking place she stares dumbfoundead as her door swings open and a figure rushes into the room. All she feels at first is the warmth of the arms around her and the calmness of the words whispered into her ear. The flame ignites once again she truly begins to cry as she makes sense of the situation, her wrist and eyes stinging with pain. Minutes go by and the bleeding has stopped but the pain remains, yet she feels calm. With scars on her skin and tears down his face they are no longer alone.