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"If you go there, razeash everywhere

"That’s a coo inside, but pauses in the doorway "I don’t miss it at all That life I think about e could have been--how Dylan and Delilah turned out--and I’lad… that I didn’t end up like either of them"

I hesitate He’s said this to me before Usually, I just brush hi back burns at , I’lad I didn’t, either"

Two years and seven ive up

Avery

I want to give up That’s all I can think any Give Conner what he wants every ti

Getting beaten down

Sinking into the ground

Vanishing into a ghost

Soon, all there’ll be left of ainst h the alcohol inworthless" Hate burns in his eyes, and his venomous tone conveys the truth He does loathe me Blaht Used to feel Used to want to live

But now…

I can’t find the will to care

So I let him beat me until I’m bloody and battered and curled up on the floor Only then does he feel satisfied enough to step away and lower his fists

He takes a good look at me and shakes his head as he wipes my blood from his face "See what you make me do!" he shouts

I start to cry, not for myself, but because Mason calls out from his bedroom

"Great! And now you’ve woken him up"

I don’t utter a word, even as he waits for e hi roooddaive you h for you" He stops and stares down at me with his bloodshot eyes

I don’t move Don’t breathe I listen to the sound ofit

"Why can’t you be grateful?" As he crouches down beside s so you can be happy Do you kno many husbands will do that?"

I don’t answer his, have told hier him And then he hits me and paints his knuckles with my blood Somehow, it makes him feel better until the next ti back up "I’m out of here You’re worthless" He storlass shatter, but I don’t ht I am worthless I’ any

Tristan

I’round with my arms over my head With each kick, I become more broken With each hit, I die a little bit s nu I kneas co And this isn’t even the worst of it

"If you don’t co to be a lot worse," Trace says with another kick tothe wind out ofto have to keep beating your du onto my back as blood fills my mouth I don’t focus on him, but the sky, and it makes it easier to pretend I’m somewhere else But then his face moves into my line of vision and reality creeps back in

"You only have a few days left to gethis raw knuckles that are coated with my blood "And if I were you, I’d try to clean up your act You ," Iaway

As fear surfaces, I realize theoff I start to feel And I hate feeling

It takes s ache so badly I can scarcely walk Luckily, I’m close to the aparto up to ie, and I think with uides et a hit

Cah as a kite, just hoant to look right now, every day, every second, for the rest of my life

"I knew you’d takeon the fact that I’ only a bra and shorts, her skin hanging loosely on her boney body I’ain, I haven’t been attracted to any of the woue Nova Good, sweet Nova, who never wantedat what I’m about to do Cas I’ve never judged her I get that sos to feed theto fk Caet a taste of what my mind thinks it needs

No, I need it

I really do

She moves back from the doorway and lets e, pipes, and a few boxes I stumble to the tattered sofa and anxiously wait as Ca awith a hollow pen, my nose drinks the toxic crystals up

Suddenly, I feel nothing No pain No worry No shame that I’m here It makes it easier when she kisses me and then takes off my clothes because I’ve done this before and it doesn’t reallyany invisible

Present Day…