TRIGGER WARNING: emotional abuse I should have noticed it  L. always told me, I should change, so he could show off with me. What does that tell me? One:  He needed me to show off, because he was too much of a loser to be able to show off with his own achievements. Two:  He just wanted to use me to make himself look good, maybe even to cover up his apostate activities. Three:  He was showing more than one sign of abusive behavior and  I should have recognized it. Four:  I am not good enough to show off with already, so I would have to change in order for him not having to be ashamed of me. Five:  I am not good enough for anyone unless I change and blend in with common standards of beauty and L. never told me I was pretty or beautiful unless I changed some aspect of myself. Even after I changed he still wasn't completely content. What does that tell me? One:  I am not pretty or beautiful as I am, so I have to change in order to...

"Yeah, maybe I should have prepared you for this..." I said, scratching my head as I watched my friends make themselves at home in my parents' house. This all had been a pretty last-minute decision.  I had been planning to go an visit my parents for a while now, and I had also planned to take a few friends with me. But then there were just more and more people that signed up for this trip, including my husband, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, my best friend and my husband's best friend, plus a couple he knew from school. Honestly, we barely knew them. I had no idea what the hell they were doing here. You were there, too. I had no idea how you even got here, but you somehow just showed up and joined our little group and you honestly just fit right in. My parents were probably the most suspicious about you, with your bright pink hair and your almost feminine features. But damn was I glad to have you around. "Maybe? You should definitely have prepared us...

Let me introduce a new label to you. It won't be a label I'll post a lot under, but it might be interesting to some of you: Writing. I'll post some short stories, maybe essays, and in general longer texts under this label. Here is a short story I wrote for a contest once. It didn't win anything, but since the whole thing is over, I can now post it here. Enjoy.