Demons of our own.

A mentor's help.

You'd noticed the way her eyes were avoiding your eyes the entire dinner. She didn't say much, nor did she pay attention. She didn't eat the food in front of her, she only played with it, using her fork. You so desperately wanted to hug her right there, but it would be inappropriate in front of the other students. While grabbing the glass, one of her sleeves slipped up, revealing angry lines on her forearm, causing you to frown. As quickly as the sleeve slipped up, the lines were covered again. You took another sip of your drink, wanting to forget what you'd just seen.

By the end of dinner, Mallory had excused herself to go from the bathroom. You knew exactly what she was going to do. You excused yourself too, following the steps Mallory had passed just minutes earlier. You knocked on the door, but didn't receive any response. Another knock, but still nothing. Panic started to rise in you, but you managed to stay calm. Swallowing the lump in your throat you tried "Mallory, are you okay in there?". You heard the sound of metal hitting the floor, followed by "Yeah, you know that the of the month,". You let out a sigh, not convinced. You wanted her to tell you what was going on, but you knew you couldn't force her. So instead, you sat down, waiting for Mallory. After minutes of silence, you heard a sob escaping Mallory's mouth. You opened the door right away, scared of what you were about to witness. Mallory, one of your most talented students, was sitting on the floor, a hand covering her mouth, bloody arms, with a blade right beside her. You wrapped your arms around her fragile body, followed by "Oh, Mallory,". Much to your surprise, Mallory buried her face in your shirt, staining your shirt, but you didn't mind. This is exactly what you wanted. You sat like that for a while, letting Mallory cry, while hugging her.

You didn't want to pressure her, but you had to know what had caused her to cut herself. "Have you done this before, Mallory?".

Nod.

"Have you been doing this for a long time?"

Nod.

"Can I help you?"

Shrunk.

Your eyes fell after her response to your question. You knew what you had to do.