Page 74 of Hide Me Darling

You know why I did it though, right?

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

We know.

Why were you so resistant to embracing a part of who you are?

Sadness threatens to overwhelm me as I think about the answer to their question. I had hoped for simple questions, simple tasks, but I should have heeded their warning. Nothing about the answer they are asking for is simple. But perhaps I can make my answer simple.

Embracing it doesn’t always end well. Not everyone is able to handle the darkness inside me, they haven’t in the past. Why risk it when I know how it will inevitably end?

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

Why not risk it for the chance of happiness? For the chance of the love you’re afraid you will never find?

Because I've seen what embracing it does. It's not about risking happiness; it's about avoiding the pain it causes.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

But what if that pain is just the start of something beautiful? A love greater than you've ever known, a connection deeper than any other?

That kind of love is a fairytale. My parents were lucky to have found it. But owning and embracing my darkness just led to pain.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

Then you've seen only part of the story. Darkness can lead to light, pain can lead to healing. It's all about balance, little shadow.

I don't know if I believe in that balance anymore. It feels like darkness just consumes everything.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

Then maybe it's time to change your perspective. Look beyond what you've seen and imagine what could be.

I huff out a breath. When did this turn into a debate about my life?

Easier said than done.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

True, but sometimes the hardest paths lead to the greatest rewards. You've already embarked on a journey; why stop now?

I sigh heavily. They already asked this but in a different way, avoiding it this time isn’t an option.

Because I'm afraid of where it might lead.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

Fear is natural. It keeps us safe, but it also holds us back. Only you can decide if the risk is worth the reward.

I wish it were that simple.

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

Life is rarely simple, Hydessa. But the choices we make define who we are. Embrace your darkness or fight against it—it's your choice, but it won’t simply disappear. And you know which side of that choice we will be on.

Did I not make that choice with what happened last night?

PSYCHO MASKED STALKERS

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