Sealed Bandage

With uneven hair under the hoodie, bruised arms under the sleeves, and an aching heart under the smile, Minji came home. “It was amazing and fun today,” was given as the usual answer to the question asked by her mother, “How was school today?”. Minji went to her room after lying to her mother of eating snacks with her ‘friends’ today. She can’t be blamed though, she didn’t have an appetite and convincing your mother that you have friends so she doesn’t bother you can come handy in these times. Of course, the question “Why don’t you invite your friends over today evening?” was asked again, but Minji’s friends were always busy, so she couldn’t really do anything.

Filling the bathtub with warm water, Minji locked the room and started undressing herself. Her pale and bleak body always disgusted her, so she broke all the mirrors in the room. She finally settled herself inside the bathtub and took out the blade she kept with herself all the time so her parents didn’t find out about it. As she gave her arm another long cut, she couldn’t help but be fascinated by the blood slowly slide down her arm. The dark red liquid had always mesmerized her and she just loved to see it again and again. When the blood started reaching the water in the tub, she slowly dipped her hand in the water and wiped it off, before covering it with a band-aid. She closed her tear-filled eyes and let her dreams carry her again.

The dream came again, love and laughter swallowed by doom. The doom was sure to come, it didn’t have any affect either. But love scarred her heart and laughter smashed her hope. She woke up with the smile, smile of sadness that her dreams would remain mere images in her head. The bathtub water had gone cold, so she got herself out and drained out the water. Wiping herself, she slipped on a hoodie and headed out.

As always, she was going to study till she was awake. Studying helped her relax, it occupied her mind and made her think about things that actually matter. She didn’t even realize when she was crying. Psychology, her favorite subject, reading about dreams, it all made her extremely nostalgic. All she wanted to do was stay in her dreams and live a happy life, she wanted to live happily and die early rather than live a long life where there was pain in every breath.

Her parents were out partying, being home alone she skipped dinner. She had had enough. The band-aid remained sealed, the water remained warm. Eyes shut, laughter embraced her and love engulfed her.