Status: This story is split up into seven sections, or 'arcs', rather than individual chapters. I will upload each arc when I feel it is completed, and in the end they will make up all of the story I wish to tell. Thank you for reading, and any comments or feedback is always appreciated.

Scratch

In reality, humans are weak creatures. There are many who spend all of their lives denying what is really the only truth. Which brings me to my second truth: humans are liars. We may not necessarily lie to other people; no, that isn't always the case. We do, however, lie to ourselves.

Then, there are those who are extremely guilty of both. The ones who lie to themselves that they aren't weak. That they’re completely okay and strong, when on the inside, hidden under so many layers of lies that even they don’t know it isn't the truth, they’re falling apart.

I am one of those people. I have been one of those people for so painfully long that now the illusion is starting to break. My little kingdom of ‘fine’ and ‘okay’ is finally falling apart, just like myself. I can no longer lie to myself. I’m too tired to lie; too broken.

Nine years later—nine grim, agonizing, lied filled years later—and I am still broken. The forever unanswered question still plagues me, though: are you?