Somebody That I Used To Know

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Tom sits at the edge of the bed, scrolling through Instagram.

"Tom?" Denise asks, sitting next to him. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Denise gasps as she sees the photo Tom was looking at. He quickly covers himself with his thumb and closes out the app. "Darling-"

"Why are you looking at those?"

"I... I don't know."

"This is self torture, Tom. You can't look at yourself like that, it's morbid. Not just morbid... terrifying. It's... it's sick. It makes me sick to look at."

"Well it's nothing new to me. It's different when you experience it."

"Looking at yourself... like that is horrific no matter when you see it."

"I'll get over it eventually."

"What do you mean?"

"The feelings, they'll go."

"You can never get numb from seeing that."

"Oh, you can, trust me."

Denise sighs and rubs Tom's back. "Put the phone away. You know it hurts you to look at."

"Well without Molly and Matt in my life anymore, there's no one to constantly degrade me so it's time to do it myself. You're... kind and... and sweet. You let me stay in your place and you're going to take me to meetings, that'd kindness. I need something to fill the void."

"Fill the void? Tom, happy thoughts should fill the void. You don't need someone always keeping you down and causing you harm."

"You fill the nice void. You're the good person and the good thoughts. Please just let me deal how I deal. I don't need someone rubbing my arm and telling me it's okay every second of the day. Let me sit in my miserableness."

"This is more than miserable. This is literally your nightmare fuel."

"And I need it."

"You don't need panic attacks because you're looking at pictures of yourself... in that condition."

"It won't give me a panic attack."

"Why are you sitting and looking at it? Please, Tom, it's okay, leave those alone. Block the account."

"Which one?"

"Which one?" Denise asks.

"Which account?"

"The account with the pictures."

"Yes, Denise, which one?"

Denise feels her face drop. "There's multiple?"

"They screen shoted them but yes."

"Tom-"

"It's fine, really."

"You need to sue them."

"There's no use, Denise. People saw them, they're in their camera roll, I have no choice but to leave them up."

"You'll sue, get them arrested."

"In my experience, putting up a fight makes it worse. People say to make an effort but they've never been in a situation where they were helpless. It's best to just let whatever horrible thing happen to you than get an additional even more horrible thing."

"This is different. No one can hurt you here."

"Denise, if they want me, they'll find me. I was cornered in the middle of the woods by Matt."