Monster

It was in that moment that I realized that monsters are walking among us, disguised by their human features and well played facades.

It was in that moment that I felt as if someone had snatched the ground from under my feet by a cruel realization.

That was when I felt the most alone and helpless in the world.

That was when I realized that everyone I had ever loved was a monster.

They were unable to feel empathy or guilt, only determination.

They were emotionless animals, scouring the Earth with one goal in mind; their own wealth.

They required the ability to become inhumane, yet still be human by technicality.

They required the ability to gain someone's trust, get what they wanted, and leave them broken afterwards with no remorse.

I was broken, shattered like glass, as if in that one moment I was hit with a great force, enough to cause me to crumble to my knees and wail to the sky.

I was hopeless, wishing that the monster had just killed me, bade me mercy instead of leaving me to my slow descent into insanity.

I did not want to lose everything, like so many of them had before they had changed.

I did not want to change into one of them, but how could I not; I had already lost everything.

Overwhelmed by my own emotions, I panicked and lost control over myself.

I sobbed, screamed, and lashed out, trying to deal with the sadness, the guilt, the pain, and the emptiness.

"We understand," they cooed, false understanding hidden in their wavering voices.

"You're not alone in this world," they chanted in unison as they had done before.

I fell into a period of sleep.

During this period of sleep, my mind gave up, exhausted, and my body took over.

I woke sometime later, not sure of where I was or what had happened, only calm.

During my period of sleep, a lot had happened, as I found that I no longer felt betrayed, but strange.

I searched for my loved ones, mind filled with apologies for my rash actions.

I searched for the right words to tell them, to explain myself clearly.

No one heard the explanation and no explanation came.

No one was to be found no monsters were to be found either.

When they were found, they were crying, shielding themselves and their children.

When they were found, they were crammed in a corner, hiding from something.

I was immediately alarmed, asking about what had happened, how I could help; there was no reply.

I was immediately pushed away by those around me, with shaking arms and cries for mercy.

In that moment I felt betrayed, not by them, but by me.

In that moment, my whole world came crashing down, nothing left to hold it.

That was when I knew why I felt so alone and helpless because I wasn't surrounded by monsters.

That was when I realized that I was the monster, and everything went black.