DARLING ➶ JOHNNY C. DEPP II

I

January 25, 1988

Johnny,

I know you probably get ten million letters a day, but I hope you take this one into consideration just as much, if not, more than others. I may seem like a superstitious bitch that craves attention, but hopefully that won't come off too much as this continues on.

I am writing this specifically to you because I feel like you're the only one I can trust. I don't mean to give you my whole life story, but it might happen if I don't pay too much attention to what I'm doing (I tend to over-write when I talk about my feelings).

That being said, hopefully this doesn't bore you as much as I think it will.

I come from a pretty wealthy family. I won't say I'm rich, because I'm not, but my family has gotten a fair share of money over about fifteen years. I happen to be seventeen, meaning my mother got an amazing job by the time I was around two years old.

My father, being the prick he is, decided to quit his job the second she got her first raise. He thought that her job could pay the bills alone, but obviously, a relationship shouldn't be built on one person relying only on the other.

He began to spend his days drinking, which broke my heart by the time I was around nine years old. He used to be my best friend, we did almost everything together. But once I was old enough to realize that his drinking was more than a problem, it not only affected him, but my family.

When I turned thirteen, he began beating my mother. This was around the time that I discovered you. Nightmare on Elm Street came out, and if I'm being completely honest, it scared the shit out of me. But, I will say, if I hadn't forced myself to watch it, I wouldn't have ever known who you were now.

My mother's beatings only got worse. As time went on she couldn't hide her pain anymore. When I turned fifteen, it was like we were the only people in the world who could feel pain. I know that sounds dramatic, but my life at home was a wreck, and it made it harder for me to do well in school.

I'm in my senior year now, and still trying to cope. My mom refuses to leave my dad, but I couldn't blame her. After all the crap he puts her through, she still loves him.

Sometimes I wonder if she looks at the bruises on her body and thinks of them as love marks.

But I guess this is where you come in. You've been my knight in shining armor ever since I was thirteen years old. That's four years since I've relied on you, and, hell, that's a long time. I'm not saying I was depressed, or suicidal, because I wasn't, but there were times when I felt like just leaving planet earth.

Does that even make sense? I'm not sure how to explain it. I guess you could say that there were times when i thought humanity completely lost it, but then I remembered you.

I don't want to sound like a creepy fan girl that kisses the posters of you on my wall, but you've never failed to put a smile on my face, and give me hope that beauty is still in this world.

You gave me faith that a man could be respectful, loving, and a role model. Your love for your fans engulfs me with the pure feeling of hope, and I hope someday us fans can make you even more happy than you make us.

John Christopher Depp, I am forever devoted to you, and I thank you for all you've done for me.

- Erela Cota