An Empaths' Curse

TRIGGER WARNING!!!: Some themes in this collection are extremely dark & may be triggering/cause distress. Please proceed with caution.

It's tough having a hardened outer shell caging the war of emotions that are constantly bashing against it, isn't it?
It's heartbreaking not being allowed to express who you truly are when who you're forced to be is in service of everyone else; the non-parent parent, the guardian who no one protects, the lover who knows not what it is to be loved, the steady hand during daylight but when night falls you're left shaking, so definitively alone, hopeless.
You break every night & will yourself together when dawn surfaces. It's an endless cycle; one you fear you may not be able to continue with for much longer.
You want to escape but you can't, so you travel far away in the depths of your mind. "Maladaptive dreaming is a disorderly symptom of neglect" they say.
But how can it be so bad if it's the only thing tethering you to the desire to live?
This is the curse of an empath.
This is your curse as much as it is mine.
So,
let's break together.