the skin is cracking. a painted mask that has been elaborately applied to his face

is breaking and peeling off, and hes laughing. its the same voice- the same one that

held your hand and dragged you across the courtyard- the same voice that would give

you that overly-warm smile- its a different smile now, his eyes are twisted, the soft

██████ eyes are gone- maybe? the ██████ eyes were still there, but different now-

different, different in that they no longer gave you a look of adoration and warmth

but one that said "you idiot- you absolute idiot!" the voice taunted you and twisted

between pitch from the one you knew- know- and the one it is now, its melting together

in your mind, youre not sure which it is anymore- was this █████████? maybe it always

was █████████, maybe if you held this █████████s hand in the same way you did before,

this █████████ would smile at you the way he did before- the paint on the mask is

melting off, dripping in slow, thick beads off of him, the mask has shattered and lays

in shards at his feet- he crushes them under the heel of his shoes- █████? since when

was that- the shards dissolved into dust, where is █████████- and he was laughing again

return