Hello! This is very loosely based off A Guide On How To Read Between the Lines by Tobeornotto-Forgetit. Enjoy!

Trigger warnings. Please read with caution.

The heaviness of his depression weighed him down, almost scarily deadening. The voices muddled on and on. Every once in a while one would shriek, "Those coats better be clean!" or "Wash my baby! I can't stand it being dirty another minute!" They never sounded exactly like his mother. He could always tell the difference, but it still cut into his chest, making it ache until it seemed like the only thing to fix it would be to stab himself right where it hurt the most.

"I love my coats more than anything else. Especially more than you; worthless," one of the voices mocked in sarcastic pity.

He reached into the box near him painfully slowly. His scarred and calloused fingers came in contact with what he was looking for.

He pulled out the blade and, without hesitation, drew it across his arm. He watched as the thin line of his blood appeared. Lying there in pleasure, he enjoyed the pain he had inflicted on himself, the ghost of a smile reaching his lips. The voices faded, almost becoming nonexistent. And then a dead calm came over him. Calm so intense it was almost otherworldly.

"Carlos!" His mother shrieked up the stairs. "The dishes need to be washed and they're not going to wash themselves!"

He struggled to find the motivation to stand. When he stumbled down the stairs, his mother was standing at the bottom, watching him like a hawk, cigarette in hand.

"Oh I see you've added another one," his mother sneered when he reached her. She pressed her cigarette onto his newest cut. His mind exploded from the sensation and he nearly gasped from the pain. Pleasure and pain clashed in his brain, causing his head to throb wildly. The voices began clamoring; talking and screaming and ordering. He was barely able to make out his mother's voice; "What are you standing there for? Go wash the dishes!" The voices lowered to grumbles and orders to wash the dishes or he'll be eaten by a dog.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Constructive critisism is also appreciated. Thank you for reading! -FlatFox

P.S. If you want more, please check out my story All's Fair in Hell and War, which is a continuation of this story.