His fingers fumbled with the cassette as he tapped it against the edge of the table lightly. A sigh poured gently through his battered lips as he pushed the cassette inside the player, listening to the voice he had not heard for years.

    darling, you are my world, you are the scars that trace my body, the reminders of the fights with the faceless demon inside my head, the one who turned off all of the lights, the bones to my skin; darling, you used to be my—

    He shook his head and grabbed some curls in between his fingers, tugging at the roots to yank them out, to free his anger, his