Amongst the silence (1 of 3)

-Childhood Shadows- I was small, hiding in plain sight, my brother’s hands crossing lines I couldn’t name. Fear lived in my bones, and silence became my only armor. Mother caught him, rage flaring, almost breaking him with her own hands, yet the years he was gone were only temporary. When he returned, words of apology softened the air, but I swallowed every emotion, locked my voice in a chest of fear, keeping our fragile family from crumbling. -Carving Pain into Skin- Adolescence came like a storm, self harm tracing rivers of sorrow down my arms. I thought love could save me hearts I trusted shattered like glass. Grandmother passed before I could say goodbye, leaving grief curling around my chest. Whispers and lies spread like wildfire, friends turning their backs at someone else’s bidding. False hope flickered in the eyes of another, but the scars of the past clung tight, teaching me that pain could be both refuge and cage.