Problems So, I was talking to this guy on Thumb today. Complaining about my problems, and just generally b*tchin'. As we moved on in the convo he shared a few of his problems with me. Like how his parents sent him to a shrink, how his grandpa beats him for being gay, and how he's under suicide watch. It's so easy to forget how badly some people hurt, when all you think about is yourself...

Glorious Facts #1 Cat poop is toxic to sea otters.

Straining Can't you see me crying? Can't you see I'm dying? Straining to reach where you are Straining to be all that we were

Alyss In Netherland - Chapter 3 Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, pouring it's warmth into my dreams. I groggily sat up, pushing my hair out of my eyes. My boyfriend was still fast asleep next to me. I checked the bedside table's clock. 10:48! I sighed, noticing the AM next to the digits. Must have had a power outage... Groaning, I got up and made my way to the Derek's, my boyfriend's kitchen. I'm not sure about him, but I was starving. I made enough eggs for both of us, and sat down to eat. A few minutes after I had set out the food, Derek zombie-walked to the table. I smiled, "Hello, love. Did you have a nice sleep?" Derek nodded, "Yeah... What time is it?" He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "11." I stated and went back to eating my eggs. Silence. I looked up from my plate at Derek's white face. "Love? What's wrong?" "Why didn't my alarm go off?" His voice was shaky, and it looked like he was about to either puke or pass out. "Power outage. Love, are you okay?" I touched his arm lightly. He slowly looked down at my hand, then back to me. "I'm fine." Derek got up and walked to his room, leaving me to wonder what exactly was going on. After a few moments, I walked to his room and knocked on the door. "Derek? Love? Let me in... Are you okay?" I asked quietly, slumping against the door. Suddenly, a scream pierced the silence. "Aaaaaaahhh!" Something was thrown up against the door, causing me to give a startled yelp. From the other side of the door, I could hear Derek babbling. "Derek! Let me in! What's going on?" I pounded on the door. For a long while, all I could hear was Derek mumbling to himself, then the doorknob started to twist. I scooted backwards, conceded for Derek and afraid of what's about to come through that door. What emerged through it, however, was not what I was expecting. It was Derek. Completely normal. Same white shirt, same plaid pj's, same disheveled hair. The only thing that was missing was his signature grin. It was replaced by a malicious smirk. I met his eyes and was outright scared by what I saw there. Nothing. No love at all. They were just empty pools. Vessels devoid of any emotion. And that scared me. I slowly edged myself along the wall, trying to get into the kitchen, all the while, keeping an eye on the steadily approaching Derek. I took a deep breath and swallowed. "Derek, what's wrong?" "Sorry, Love. Derek isn't here right now." I jolted awake, heart pounding. Love was still asleep next to me. I slowly got up, careful not to wake the sleeping jester. I stood facing the sleeping man, contemplating my recent dream. It was already becoming fuzzy in my mind. I frowned and concentrated on remembering. Suddenly, I remembered a lot more than I expected. The maniacal laugh. The crazed glint in his eyes. The fight. The knife. The pain. The blood. Wide eyed, I backed away from my murderous boyfriend and looked around, now scared. Was this Hell? It sure didn't seem like Heaven. Love snorted in his sleep, nearly causing me to scream. I then realized the danger I was in. I ran to the door leading back into the castle. I flung it open and gasped. Nothing. No room. No table. No litle girl. Just black. I stepped back and looked up. The castle was still there, looming ominously in the starless sky. Throughly spooked, I backed away from the strange doorway. I frantically looked around for another means of escape. Absolutely none. I laughed. And laughed again. Soon hysterical laughter filled the garden. I slowly stumbled over to the pond. I sat down beside the calm water, laughter turning to tears. Why? What did I do to deserve this? Was this payment for killing my sister? They never found out it was me. Suicidal, they said. Poor child. Yes, poor child. Poor. No, she wasn't. She had everything. Dolls, clothes, love. I was the freak. Only black for me. Only white for her. My good twin. Her evil twin. Good? Evil? Opposites. You know what they say, opposites attract. Then what about me and Derek? Unnatural. Bizarre. But love overcame it all. Or did it? I loved him. Did he love me? The real me? Did I love the real me? What was the real him? Did the real him love the real me? Did we love each other? I heard a rustling behind me and froze when a hand rested on my shoulder. "Yes." A spike of pain erupted in my chest. A white light slowly enveloped my vision and I was floating. Flying. Falling. Beepbeep… Beepbeep… Bzzzz...bzzzz...bzzzz... Well, thanks for reading. I hope you liked it and if you did please leave a comment or at least a heart. Please and thankyou!

Alyss In Netherland - Chapter 2 The new room was a copy of the one I woke up in. The only difference was that in the center of the room there was a few somethings sitting around a small table. Curious, I walked closer. As I neared the group, I could tell that the something with it's back to me was a small girl. Her long black hair streamed over the chair like darkness eating the light. The other three seemed to be dolls of some sort. Like the castle, the animals were almost completely black and white. The only spot of color they had was a blood red heart. Another disturbing feature they shared were their empty faces. Literally empty. Almost no features at all, just two black rings in the middle of their face. As I stared at the animals, I also drew closer to the girl. "Excuse me, are you okay?" I touched the girls' shoulder. No response. Great. I walked around until I could see her face. That's when I stopped. Unlike the dolls she had all of her normal features. However, she was by no means normal looking. Her closed eyelids were covered in dark eyeshadow. Her small downturned mouth was painted with black lipstick. Hollow cheeks and a pointed nose added to the girl's disturbing image. "Oh my God." My hand rose to my mouth as I looked passed her face, to the butter knife protruding from her chest and the blood that soaked her white dress. In horror, I stumbled backward, crashing into the table and chairs. Looking down, I noticed something new about the dolls. Color was dripping from their eyes. The same color that flowered from the girl's heart. Terrified, I looked back at the small child. The blood was streaming down her face. Tears of blood. Screaming, I clambered over the broken table and raced for the nearest door. When I reached the dark gateway, I flung it open and darted inside. I slammed the door shut and fell to the ground, weeping. Weeping because I had recognized and remembered. Because I had recognized my sister. Because I remembered the hate. "Sad, isn't it?" Love's soft voice broke through the guilt and pain. I slowly looked up, shaking from the tears. He was crouched down next to me, mask mere inches from my face. The jester stroked my face and ran his gloved fingers through my dark hair, yet somehow it was familiar and comforting. "Sad, how one can loose track of what is good or evil. Kind or demeaning. Loving or hateful. Black or white." He whispered. "Yes... So sad." I whispered back, feeling the words being pulled from my lips. Wiping my tears on my arm, I stood, using Love as a support. The man laughed as I tried to take a step alone, only to fall back onto him. Laughing with him, I felt my mind numb over, the sharp pain of remembrance fading into a dull ache. "Come now, princess. How about we take a walk together?" Love crooked my arm in his and led me down the newest hallway. Love, my jester in shining armor. I had only know the man for less than an hour, and I already felt that I had known him for years. I'm not ever sure why! He didn't speak much, and I couldn't even see his face. But somehow, I felt at ease with him. He took away my pain, and replaced it with love. "Ah. I think this is the courtyard, princess." Love said, placing a hand on a large obsidian door. The mask bowed as he opened the door with a flourish. I walked in to the magnificent courtyard, astonished. The entire courtyard was strewn with many different types of flowers. The colors contrasting sharply with the rest of the castle. Silver pathways led to a sprawling oak overshadowing a pond that reflected the swaying beaches as well as any mirror. A full#moonlit the ethereal garden. I gasped at the sheer beauty of the place. The muted colors of the flowers helped break the monotony of black and white that had been following me for the past hour. Smiling, I turned back to Love. "It's beautiful." "It is, isn't it?" Love crossed his arms and surveyed the flowered courtyard. "A floral masterpiece." I could hear the smile in his voice, even though I couldn't see it through the mask. He slowly walked to me and took my hand, leading me to the majestic oak. "Come, sit down. You look terribly tired." "Really? I don't feel very tired..." I replied, sitting down beside him. "Oh, yes. Here, maybe a lullaby will help you get to sleep." Love began to hum softly. As the quiet notes drifted through the branches and flowers, they began to give off a faint glow. Petals became tiny lanterns, illuminating the stonework of the surrounding castle walls, giving the place a very dreamt look. Huh, maybe I was more tired than I thought. I let my head rest against Love's shoulder, his voice reverberating through my body. As the lights blurred, I let my eyes close and drifted into a forgotten memory. Comments would be awesome!