Each Man Dreams His Own Heaven.

Being Scared Isn't The Problem. It's Not Running Away That's The Hard Part.

You Mean They Killed Her?" Asked David. They Ate Her," Said Brother Number One. "with Porridge. That's What 'ran Away And Was Never Seen Again' Means In These Parts. It Means 'eaten.'" Um And What About 'happily Ever After'?" Asked David, A Little Uncertainly. "what Does That Mean?" Eaten Quickly," Said Brother Number One.

There Are People Whose Eyes You Must Avoid, Whose Attention You Must Not Draw To Yourself. They Are Strange, Parasitic Creatures, Lost Souls Seeking To Stretch Across The Abyss And Make Fatal Contact With The Warm, Constant Flow Of Humanity. They Live In Pain, And Exist Only To Visit That Pain On Others. A Random Glance, The Momentary Lingering Of A Look, Is Enough To Give Them The Excuse That They Seek. Sometimes, It Is Better To Keep Your Eyes On The Gutter For The Fear That, By Looking Up, You Might Catch A Glimpse Of Them, Black Shapes Against The Sun, And Be Blinded Forever.

I'd Been Hurt, And In Response I Had Acted Violently, Destroying A Little Of Myself Each Time I Did So.

David's Mother Would Often Tell Him Stories Were Alive. They Weren't Alive In The Way People Were Alive,or Even Dogs Or Cats. People Were Alive Whether You Chose To Notice Them Or Not, While Dogs Tended To Make You Notice Them If They Decided That You Weren't Paying Enough Attention. Cats, Meanwhile, Were Very Good At Pretending People Didn't Exist At All When It Suited Them.