Baby Steps

They whisper, just loud enough for me to hear, but quiet enough that the teacher doesn't notice. They smirk and grin at me, evil faces in a suddenly mutated classroom, swimming around my still aching body, poking me, prodding me, pushing me past my limits. I can barely stand it. I try to bring myself out of this delirium but end up sinking even farther. The faces are laughing at me, mocking me, calling me useless, ugly, stupid. The room is melting, tuning into little pools at my feet and suddenly I am screaming, crying into the darkness that has come around me and I am terrified, wanting to wake up from this nightmare, this nightmare that is my life.