it dawned on me one day, that i had forgotten how to scream, and as i sat in my car, driving god knows where, tears welled in my eyes
how could i have forgotten such a thing?
i searched for an inkling of that primal part of me, the one who knew how to scream, but all that passed through my lips were mere frustrated breaths
i was about to bottle the urge and drown it in the sea, a habit that had become ever so familiar to me, when i stumbled upon a remote crevice of my mind
it was a dark and hidden place, this crevice of my mind, long forgotten by even the shadows of the night
it took some time for my eyes to adjust, then, ten paces forward, a chamber locked behind chains and all boarded up, and through a small opening, in the center of the door, i caught a glimpse of a caged little girl
i took one step forward, scuffing the floor, and from inside the chamber, the girl glanced through the aperture
i gasped, for she looked like some forgotten version of me, so innocent, so sweet, but something wicked and wild lurked not far underneath
how grotesque and monstrous was she, possessing an utter lack of civility, and i felt an urge to leave her there, for if set free, i feared she’d bring the end of me
but some force pulled me forward, as the girl began screaming unendingly, the sound overwhelming, filled with all my past misery
but still i was compelled forward, frantically tearing at the door, even as blood began dripping on the floor
my nails, now broken and bloodied, blood running from my ears, but despite my best efforts, i could not break the seal
i sank to my knees, clutching my hair, really believing my end was so near
but before i could faint, i mustered my strength and let out a roar, it went soaring through the air
i screamed and screamed, my voice resonating with the little girl’s, for what felt like eternity, until my throat could take no more
a few moments passed, my tear soaked cheek upon stone cold ground, the once locked door, now just rubble, scattered around
the echo of the screams faded, leaving a warm buzz in the air as a dainty hand laid upon my shoulder, the girl smiling down
“thank you for finding me,” she whispered, her voice a sweet melody
i pulled her in close, lovingly caressing angel soft hair
“i’ll never leave you here, never again, i swear”