Eyes a blur,
skin burning into sheets,
you reach to the side table
and take another swig of green.

F a l l i n g

F  a  l  l  i  n  g

F   A   L   L   I  N  G

back into a sleepless dream.

"Hey, c'mon! No time to be still.
We got places to be!"
A young man with an orange glow
bursts from the blur within you
and starts tugging on your sleeve.

"Faster than that!
God, you're so slow.
How do you accomplish anything?"

You run at his heels,
but you can't keep up.

He is lighting.
I'm just... me.

"You're going too fast!
Slow down, slow down!"
You stop.
Chest poisoned and pierced.

You cannot breathe.

The young man turns around and glares.
"Why do you even try?
I mean, fuckin' life.
Either be the best,
prove yourself to all the rest,
or just go ahead and die."

The piercing in your chest
starts leeching through your lungs
like vines restricting every breath
and every thought of self-love.

The orange glow, his face, came closer.
Warm breath washed your skin.
"The only people worthy of dreams
are those good enough to win."

His hands reached, pushed
eyes bore down, laugh
shook you into the dirt.

Dust to dust
you fall,
your sense of self-will
abd self-worth
lost...

It hurts.
Everything hurts.
Am I nothing but tears,
Sweat and dirt?

(Ok just a disclaimer, but the characterization in this book isn't meant to degrade any of these real people! It's meant to help tell a story.
Please forgive anything that may come across as an offensive misrepresentation, as that is not the intent throughout this book.
I promise you get to see a lovelier side to the guys as well.
Anyway.
Thanks for your grace.)