Run Out of Emotion

Three.

I looked up at the girl, suddenly feeling self conscious. She scanned the last bag of crisps and I awkwardly handed over the money.

Quickly, she gave me the bag and her grey eyes stared into mine for a second, but that second was enough to see the true depth of them.

They had dark swirls of blue in them, and I'd never seen a colour like that. I'd never seen a girl like her, either.

When her hand moved away, I noticed a small scar on her wrist. As I looked closer, I saw that there were lots of little silver scars, all over her lower arm and wrists. She snatched her arm back, pulling her sleeve over her hands. I frowned.

"Aren't you going to leave?" she said, seeming ashamed.

"Oh..." I looked at the ground. "Yeah." But there was something I needed to do.

No one knew about my cutting, but judging by the scars, she obviously cut too. So she wouldn't tell anyone. I just wanted her to know she wasn't alone.

Carefully, I pulled my hoodie sleeves up and subtly showed her my freshly cut wrists. She looked shocked, and I pulled my sleeves down again.

Biting my lip, I turned away to leave. Why did I show a stranger my secret?

"Wait!" she called. I spun around.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Suddenly, she started to look awkward and she blushed a little. "Why do you...?"

"I use it as an escape." I shrugged, I may as well tell her everything. What do I have to lose by telling her? Life can't get any worse.

"So do I." she had a numb sort of look on her face.

"Stay strong." I smiled softly at her.

"You too." she said, both of us having a little moment of respect, knowing what the other was going through, like two retired soldiers, shaking hands years after war.

She was the only person I had ever met who had been through what I had. I could tell she was broken, just like me. A puzzle with pieces missing.

Once again, I turned to leave. This time I wasn't stopped. As I left, I turned to look at her one more time. We nodded softly at each other.

Walking out onto the road, I almost felt shaken up. I had just met someone like me. That had never happened before.

I opened a bag of crisps and placed one in my mouth. Although I should have been hungry, I wasn't, and the taste made me want to vomit.

Pulling a face, I turned up the road leading to my apartment block. Well, although it was good to know I wasn't alone, it was bad to know someone else was as depressed as I was.