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Story, n.

Inspired by David Levithan’s novel, “The Lover’s Dictionary” (and his Twitter, @loversdiction)

cut, n./v.: A thoughtless comment, a moment of exquisite anger, a lone staple tearing across a fresh canvas. The beginning of an onslaught.

pinprick, n.: The safety pin does not hold my clothes together. Rather, it is there as a sharp reminder to keep the two sides of my life from ripping wide open.

lie, n./v.: I did not realize that saving your feelings would destroy my own.

confide, v.: Contrary to popular belief, sharing baggage does not lighten the load.

companionship, n.: I seek the friendships of those like me: the faceless and the fearful.

betrayal, v.: I always cared much more about you than you did about about me. Even then, I did not expect you to be so cruelly inconsiderate.

no, exc.: From an accusation to a confession, all I can muster is one syllable as I race to the toilet, sickened by myself.

fall, v.: Suddenly everything is torn away from you until there is only one light in the dark that you can still see, a glint of silver and red.

nightmare, n.: At some point I began wishing that the horror would translate from reality to dreams. Instead, it invaded both.

secret, n.: Hidden like a cavity in my chest, a gaping hole rotting from the inside out.

silence, n.: Days spent alone in bedrooms condone withdrawal.

privacy, n.: On some deeper level, I wished you would invade.

infection, n.: Sitting in the theatre, I can feel my flesh on fire. Terror takes over, but when the alarm passes, it is followed by a strange fascination to re-experience the rush of dreadful possibility.

apathy, n.: Like living in a cloud of anesthetics, I am beginning to lose a sense of how to feel.

abuse, n.: Sometimes I would wish for you to hit me so I wouldn’t have to do it myself.

mess, n.: The worst part is having to clean up.

burn, n.: An hour spent crying, screaming, terrified of what this new thing is. Only a split second of blinding electricity through my skin. No mark is left. Inefficient.

tissue, n.: Just as an artist is impartial to their work, I harbour a special fondness for the marks I leave on my body. I want each one to be a grisly, gaping masterpiece, large and dark and deep.

experiment, n./v.: Nothing works quite as well as the traditional way.

rash, n.: When making your own bandages, remember that duct tape should not be worn for too long.

ignore, v.: Sometimes I wonder why you never asked about the sounds of tape being torn and hearts being emptied just one room over.

heartbreak, n.: I have to remember that people are not characters, and that I cannot set such high expectations. In the end, I will always be disappointed.

monster, n.: They have moved from under the bed to the recesses of my skull. Sometimes they come out to play, but they are rowdy, and their claws leave marks.

addiction, n.: When it is no longer a way out, but a way to prevent, or even a way to entertain.

teacher, n.: Unknowingly, a seed has been planted.

dysphoria, n.: I am afraid to change because this is all I know.

act, v.: I have been practicing quietly for a long time. Now the audience is paying to be lied to.

empathy, n.: I can no longer tell if I care about those closest to me. I am so far gone that I can’t even see where I started.

seminar, n.: Somewhere along the line, I came to realize that I could not help others if I could not help myself.

confession, n.: It takes nearly half an hour to finally find words in the veil of tears. It may be a rough one, but it is a start nonetheless.

lift, v.: Only through crying and hugs did I realize how I impacted others. An unexpected surprise.

release, n.: I have always been thin, but only now do I feel light.

inquisitive, adj.: The questioning looks are not as subtle as you might think. Do not be afraid to ask. I have been silent for far too long.
step, n./v.: Like a child, I am discovering how to move myself forward for the first time.

uncertainty, n.:…[Read more]