It seems like just another ordinary day at the Loud house but not this time. Amidst all of the daily chaos, there seems to be one event that will cause more damage than all the others and it's virtually undetectable.
"Lincoln? I need your help writing another poem. Where are you?"
Unfortunately for Lucy, Lincoln is outside helping another sister with something else. In the meantime, she ransacks his dresser, hoping that she might find a prototype poem that Lincoln hasn't shared with her yet. She does find something that looks like a poem, but in reality, it was just this.
Space
Deep, black, endless, like my heart.
Space, mine invaded. Torn apart.
"I thought Lincoln only said this to Lynn? I didn't think he'd write it down."
Lucy removes the Space poem and finds a short collection of other poems.
"So, he HAS been holding out on me! Well, let's see what he managed to come up with."
Weakling
How is it that our family is considered complete
When their Linc is so weak?
Of 11 siblings, he's the runt of the litter
A better fate for him is at the end of Lisa's atom splitter
"Not bad. But is there anything else?"
Cistern
Trapped in a washing machine
With 11 sisters trying to make me clean
Progesterone as water, estrogen as soap
Completely expunging away a boy's hope
My male traits, they're trying to suppress
With assault, coercion and duress
The eldest one condemns me to damnation
If she had it her way, she'll call for my castration
Despite the others' best efforts, they still try to make me pretty
Effacing all traces of masculinity
"That's…actually…a really great poem. I need to ask Lincoln to teach me how to write like him."
Apathy
Why should I care?
Lori breaking the crimper with her huge hair
Leni driving while unaware
Luna's loud music that continues to blare
Luan's dummy that has that creepy glare
Lynn challenging me to a suicidal dare
Lucy giving all of us a scare
Lana fixing a stair
Lola posing with aplomb and flair
Lisa experimenting while we're caught in snares
Lily gorging on a chocolate éclair
This is our fate
It will never abate
Never ending insanity
Matched only by Lola's vanity
"Ok…"
Cynicality
Destroy the world, yes or no?
If it were me I'd throw
The Earth all away, the reason is here to stay
Canis comedo canis
Hominum comedo hominum
The ends justify the means
The world held together by its seams
Maybe it will take omnicide
To finally make Earth right
"Lincoln?"
Nihilism
What's the point?
There's nothing left
With 12 others, I'm all spent
Time to finally relax
And inhale some nitrogen gas
Hypoxia will be soon to follow
Just take a deep breath and swallow
Finally, eternal slumber
All that's left to do is wonder.
"…"
Lincoln has finally finished with his task and is heading up to his room. Lucy puts all the poems back and heads out of his room just as Lincoln starts climbing up the stairs.
"Hey, Lincoln? Can you help me with writing another poem?"
"Sorry, Luce. I just finished helping Lana fix the carburetor in Vanzilla. Maybe later."
"Hey, are you ok?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Well, you seem frustrated with some things."
"And how would you know…"
Lincoln manages to piece it together.
"Did you go through my dresser to hopefully find a prototype poem?"
"No."
"Right, you're a terrible liar, Lucy."
…
…
…
"I just don't think I can take the stress anymore, that's why I've resorted to writing poetry to calm my nerves. It seemed effective whenever you did it, so I thought I'd give it a try."
"Lincoln…"
"I don't expect you to understand, Luce. Because everyone ignores you. But for me, I'm just a magnet for trouble. Everyone comes to me, whether it's an opportune moment or not."
…
…
…
"But, talking to you and letting me air out my grievances has made me slightly more chipper. You've actually prevented me from crossing the threshold into misanthropy, so thanks for that, Lucy."
"Say, Lincoln, do you think you can teach me how you come up with the rhymes for your poems? That cistern poem was nothing short of brilliance."
"Sure, Luce."
Author's Note: Of all the Mental Torture stories, this one was the hardest one to write.