Chapter 1: The Distance Between Us

In this moment, you occupy space beside me, yet I remain distant, trapped within my own thoughts, encased in a Faraday cage of my mind. Your candid brown eyes pierce through my façade, unyielding and direct. You see right through my attempts to evade your gaze, unshaken by my elusive ways. You speak a language of honesty, devoid of subterfuge or whispered secrets. You confront the silence with your bravery.

I am not the individual I wish for you to admire; I carry inconsistencies and lies—my shameful possessions. I failed you the moment you chose to be present. You offered me the gift of freedom, yet I severed the tether, choosing to leap into chaos instead.

You let me sway precariously, thrashing and struggling. You watched as I inflicted pain upon myself, pouring corrosive thoughts into my wounds—so much pain.

Exquisite.

We lie here, simultaneously near and far. I count the rhythm of your breaths in the darkness. A solitary car drives by, its headlights flickering against the ceiling, casting your silhouette like a sha