Just a short story about my inner emotion. No pairings. No plot. No rating.

Dedicated to my fake wife, Ali.

<3.



Nerves attack every part of her body. She laughs, she cries, she wrings her hands together, trying to cleanse them of the sweaty state that overcame them within the last five minutes.

Close your eyes. Inhale. Don't forget how to breathe. This is in your soul, it's what you're all about, it's who you are. It's why you pull yourself out of bed in the morning. It's why you bleed. It's the reason you ache so terribly for every second of every day. You will prove to it that you can overcome this, you can conquer it; you're stronger than the usual person. You're not like everyone else. You can do this, you can do this...

Murmurs everywhere. Praises and best wishes and light tugs on her arm. Open your eyes. This is your one chance to prove to everyone who you are and what lives within you. Your one chance to unleash it upon the unsuspecting bystanders in this innocent charade... Breathe. Don't forget how to breathe.

Shoved out onto a platform of echoing wood. Hot lights bare down on your shoulders and break through your skin. It hurts, it hurts more than anything. But it's the one thing you know you have to do. It'll be over soon... so sterile, so foreign.

She takes the instrument in her hand, preparing for the incision. Execute it right, or it's all for naught... one chance, one chance. Make it count. Do it right the first time. Don't let them see you falter. You can't falter. Lives are at stake.

The first incision emits a beautiful symphony of colors, spinning in every direction, dancing around her head like puppets. They're her soldiers, her enemies, the creatures that live in her blood and tear her apart.

The operation runs smoothly; not a single cut out of place. Perfection in its finest form. The one moment that was hers for the taking, for them to deem her worthy was an instant success.

Screaming. Cheering. Standing ovation at the flawless actions...

The melody saved them all. It keeps me alive. I rise at the brilliant sounds sent directly to me. They hit me in the soul, where the soldiers leave no mercy at bay for me. Smiling, spinning, crashing down. I can no longer perform what keeps me alive, what keeps my heart in pain, what forces me to breathe constantly...

For I've woken up.