She clenched her fist, allowing her jagged nails to dig into her palm

Blood flowed but she only tightened her grasp

The burning sensation was after all a far cry

From how she was truly feeling within

Under her cheery façade was a defenceless girl

Who was so vulnerable that a push alone would break her

Her eyes were watery with the sheer pain

And her breathing came out in sharp, shallow rasps.

Her soul was slipping away from her finger tips

She was on the verge of being torn into half

Yet no one has ever noticed her muffled cries for help

It was funny how she was a call away for many

Yet when she was struggling, everyone was so distant

Since the very first signs of her collapsing,

Their paces had only increased

No one was willing to stop for her

Yes, she knew she was indeed to be blamed

She could have stood up for herself but

All she did was to watch as things worsened

As ironic as it seemed,

Her smile remained fixed on her face

And she continued to welcome them with open arms

She was at her wits’ ends

Too desperate to break through the cycle of her loneliness

Or rather because she had been all too familiarized with it

To know that such torture would kill someone

Literally

She was not as cruel as them to inflict such agony on others