Masked Madhouse

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Those are the first words that anyone who wants to write a story on Wattpad will see. Many of this website's most popular stories are already notorious for the clichés that they use as though their popularity depended on them... which it most likely did. However, in spite of the expectations that have been unconsciously set by those stories, I simply want to reinforce the fact that the most "stereotypical" characters can also have the greatest depth.

The title of this story, Masked Madhouse, reflects my personal belief that every building is a madhouse of some sort in their own right due to what happens behind the scenes when we're not there to witness it. It doesn't matter what purpose they were originally built to serve. Schools, houses, apartment buildings, government buildings, airports, train stations, and malls are only part of a large list of places where madness can be hidden just below the surface, with some places revealing its share of pandemonium far faster than others.

For example, the nicest roommates you could ever wish for could turn out to be conspiring with a person who's tormented you in the past in exchange for something they've always wanted to get their hands on. Maybe a mall's security guards argue every day as they prepare to go home after closing time because they can never agree about how to protect it and which areas they need/want to keep close eyes on. Conceivably, the "home" of a friendly family is later exposed as being an abusive environment where only certain people are shown unconditional love, with everyone else being forced to suffer. For all someone knows, their dream school is a place where sexism, racism, and elitism are cleverly concealed by the students and also facilitated by the staff. Life's somewhat organized chaos is only matched by its unpredictability.

This story is dedicated to every victim of bullying out there, including bullied bullies who are secretly hurting on the inside. I can not make it more clear that no matter what someone does or says to the person or people who would go on to torment them, it is simply no excuse at all for what comes next. There is research out there which has shown that such persecution can stick with them for years if not the rest of their lives, with other nasty side effects including a plethora of psychological and social issues for bullies and victims alike. As for what it might feel like, imagine an invisible dark blanket or cloud that seems to follow you wherever you go, and then imagine that you know that someone who wants you to die is stalking you. No matter what, you can't seem to get rid of either of them, and even when you think you've escaped, they can and will pop up again at some point. You're back to square one, and trapped in a hellish cycle that doesn't seem to end at all. What the cloud and the stalker symbolize is open to interpretation by you guys.

Furthermore, not every victim of bullying has the strength to withstand it. Some are naturally better at doing just that. Some resort to bottling up their pain. Others repeatedly do their best to follow the widespread mantra of staying strong, only for the pain they're faced with to keep on exceeding their limits. With or without outside help, each of us only has a finite amount of treatments for those wounds, and for far too many, they run out, resulting in their suffering completely overtaking them until the biological functions that keep them alive physically permanently stop. Picture someone making the decision to end their life... and succeeding. It might seem surreal that this happens around the world every 40 seconds, but unfortunately, it's part of the cold and harsh reality we all live in.

To everyone who has ever 1) had suicidal thoughts and feelings, 2) felt all alone, 3) felt that no one actually understood them, 4) felt that nobody's ever truly loved them, or 5) any combination of the four, I want to reinforce the truth: you're not alone in your struggle. Millions of people who have gone through (at least somewhat) similar situations are out there, and quite a huge portion of them can likely relate to what you're feeling and thinking at this moment. A lot of them are right here on Wattpad, and I can bet you a billion dollars that at least one person you've met or chatted with either on this website or in real life believes that killing themselves is the only way to end their pain. I mean, I should know about that because I was once a depressed and suicidal person myself, but knowing that there are people out there who care about me and also love me was all I needed to motivate myself to stay alive. Please, please, please, please remember that for every person who doesn't give a single heck about how you're doing, there is a person who will give a heck because they love you for who you are and not because of certain characteristics you possess.

Masked Madhouse is a story that I hope will make you feel all sorts of emotions and feelings, and they may or may not include anger, happiness, despondency, surprise, shock, disgust, playfulness, restlessness, and bewilderment. I also wish for all of you to fall in love with at least one of the story's characters, to show you that there's always going to be someone somewhere who cares about you, and to help you guys realize that life really is precious in spite of how cliché it might sound.

Best wishes,

RockOfAgesFanboy2018

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