Slice of Life | Contest Entries and Short Stories

(C) superhero | shadows of twilight

⚠️WARNING: contains mild violence and relates to mental health issues and slight abuse.⚠️

--I did my research, but if you have anything to add, please tell me! Also, bear in mind that this is not a completely accurate representation - I added in a few less realistic things for the story.

I used Prompt 3!

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A monster lives inside me. And no, I'm not exaggerating.

A fiery, hideous being with an all-encompassing hate inside, a strong desire to lash out at something, anything, almost overwhelming...

At least, that's what they tell me.

I don't know how anyone could know if there was a monster inside me, but, and this scares me the most, I believe them.

After all, my life had always been peaceful. Quiet, unhurried days of normality that seemed so far away now. Leisurely walks through the small park, admiring new flowers or occasionally seeing a squirrel. Hours spent sat down, trying to convince one to stay still long enough to sketch it.

The squirrels, not the flowers.

It was a shame, they said, that a soul so calm could have a monster lurking inside.

I'm now used to being looked at with disgust, hate and fear, and am used to, from the part of me that believes them, feeling hunger for more of those emotions.

It all started in the small café by the park, and I may have forgotten to take my daily pills. Whatever happened, I could feel dark hands groping, just at the edge of my vision, taunting me, whispering unwanted thoughts, trying to awaken the monster inside...

My energy was spent, and I could no longer ignore the hands. When someone accidentally knocked my chair, I snapped. The darkness took over as a rage settled within me, and I shouted for goodness knows how long. My next clear memory is waking up on my sofa.

I live in a peaceful town, and I am - or was - known as a peaceful person. "Meek little Quinta, she'd never hurt a fly!"

And that might have been true, before.

Now, each day is full of the exact opposite of peace, and at this point, I can't bring myself to care.

Waking up, dreading the coming day. Feeling the rational part of myself tell me not to go out, not confront anyone, not give in. And ignoring that rational part.

No friends were allowed, since nobody understood. At work, I just ignored everyone. Sometimes, if I was in an extremely bad mood, I might squash a fly.

Ironic. But hey, they really are annoying.

At this point, nobody talks to me unless it's a necessity. My mood swings even surprise me, so I guess it should be expected.

For some reason, the end of the day takes an effort to get through. As soon as I am home, I feel an almost irresistible urge to curl up on my bed and stay like that. Sometimes, I feel like crying.