There was a time when everything was a blur. As if everything was no longer her choice and she lied upon the floor waiting to be torn down by a man who had no soul. And the world would say “just leave” as if it was that simple. As if she came from a privileged enough state to do so. Those two words would echo in her head until she realized she was surrounded by those who couldn’t fathom what it was like to be trapped. Trapped between floorboards, forgotten, scratching for a way out; like a little mouse who was considered a nuisance. Then finally she broke free, but was fooled once again with a counterfeit kind of freedom offered by another soulless man. A man who saw her misfortune as an opportunity to erode her to what he wanted: a doll with no soul.

He made her feel used, unwanted, and cumbersome. And if he ever apologized, the room felt even colder with its insincerity. There was nothing there but darkness. The kind that could devour any strong soul and take out its spine. But even with her broken feet, she fought to keep a part of herself alive. She fought to keep her bones intact: literally and figuratively.

She rose out of the shackles, scars and all, like none of it mattered. Why? Because it didn’t mean a thing to him. And as crushing as it was to come to that realization, it was her ticket to real love and freedom. He fell in love with her shell while she feel in love with the person he made up inside his head. He thought she was dumb enough to fall for it forever, but the book was written too many times on her before. She looks back on it as if he crafted a story, then as she read all the lines, the binding fell apart. It fell on the ground below, was drenched then eroded away to nothing until she was set free.

And now the sun gleams through in the morning to remind her there are breaks from the shadows that haunt her memories. There will always be her light against the dark, against the crafted illusions of others and if she spreads her wings she can see the angelic faces in this world. And how triumphant it feels to escape the grasp of darkness and find a reason to love yourself again. How empowering it is to be able to live like a free woman once again.