I‘m lost in my thoughts. You’re not good enough. My demons are strangling me. You’re not pretty enough. I can’t breathe. You’re not smart enough. I beg them to stop. Your teammates are so much better than you. But they ignore me. You’re the least favorite child. They taunt me. You’re a disappointment. Never let me forget my mistakes. How do you even have friends? I start to believe their whispers.

I feel like I dove off of a boat, into the ocean. At first it’s nothing, because I can still hold my breath. But I realize how deep I dove. I twist onto my back. My lungs are begging for air. The surface is slowly becoming farther away. I’m sinking. I can see my safety, but I can’t reach it. I scream, but the water inhales my sound. All that’s left is bubbles. Up until now, bubbles were a sign of happiness and success. But now they dance around me, taunting me. They know I won’t make it out. I continue to sink, further and further down. I scream again. The water suffocates my bubbles, not even allowing them to reach the surface. No one knows that I need help. My tears blend with the water around me, any sign of my emotion now hidden.

A slender hand slips over my mouth. Another covers my eyes.

My demons grasp my wrists and ankles, refusing to let me survive.