Chapter 1

My mom took me for a mental health evaluation. While filling out the form, I checked the box next to "Frequently feel sad." She immediately snatched the pen and crossed it out.

"How could you possibly be sad? Who in this house has ever mistreated you?"

I checked "Social anxiety." She frowned again.

"You were so bubbly when you were a kid. Stop filling this out with nonsense."

I didn't argue.

Since she said I wasn't sad, I changed the answer to "Never." Since she said I slept perfectly, I erased "Frequent insomnia."

By the time the form was finished, almost every single answer had been rewritten to match her expectations.

My mom picked it up, scanned it twice, and nodded with satisfaction. "Now, that's more like it. You can't just write whatever you want. What if the results are wrong? It would make a perfectly healthy person look sick."

In the end, the report showed everything was completely normal. My mom finally let out a sigh of relief.

On the ride home, I kept rubbing the scar hidden beneath my sleeve. My heart was pounding loudly, but the world in front of my eyes was fading away.

Eventually, there was only blankness, silence, and deathly stillness.