RING

=><= THIS STORY ISN'T ABOUT YOU [[Why ?]] [[It should be.]] [[I understand.]]

=><= BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, FOR ONCE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE THE ONE TO SCREAM AND SHOUT AND TEAR EVERYTHING UP WITH TOO SHARP TEETH AND TOO CRUEL CLAWS. [[Is that really the best thing to do ?]] [[Do you want a hug ?]]

=><= YOU ARE SELFISH. YOU ARE SELFISH. YOU ARE SELFISH. YOU ARE YOU ARE YOU ARE YOU ARE YOU ARE LIKE ME. [[I'm sorry. I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry]] [[I'm not selfish.]]

=><= DO YOU ? DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE PAIN WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH ? [[No.]] [[Yes.]] [[I'm sorry. I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry]]

=><= THEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS STORY. [[Why ?]]

=><= I AM SORRY, CHILD. YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO SUFFER AS I HAVE. I WISH YOU PEACE IN THE COMING DAYS. [[Do you deserve the pain ?]]

=><= IT IS OK CHILD. I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM FRIGHTENING TO SUCH YOUNG MORTALS. PLEASE, BE NOT AFRAID. [[Who are you ?]]

=><= MAYBE. MAYBE I WAS UNGRATEFUL. MAYBE I WAS A BASTARD CHILD. MAYBE I DO DESERVE EVERYTHING (text-colour:red)[SHE] HAS GIVEN TO ME. [[Do you really think that ?]]

=><= SOMEONE WHOSE PAIN IS WAS GIVEN TO THEM AS A (text-colour:red)[MOTHER] GIVES HER ELDEST THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD AND A BLACK EYE FOR CRYING ABOUT IT. [[Do you deserve the pain ?]]

=><= ... I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK, CHILD. (text-colour:red)[SHE] HAS TAUGHT ME TO NEVER THINK OUT OF LINE. I DO WISH I COULD BE AMONG THE PEOPLE, ALL LIVELY AND FULL OF HOPE. [[What are you ?]]

=><= AN ANGEL. A DEMON. FALLEN. FALLEN FROM THE GRACES OF A COLD AND UNFORGIVING (text-colour:red)[GOD]. I STILL REMEMBER THE FIRE AGAINST MY BACK, MY WINGS BURNT AS I FELL TO THE GROUND. SOME SAY I WAS (text-color:#ffffff)[T](text-color:#f8fdfd)[H](text-color:#f2fafb)[E](text-color:#ebf8fa)[ ](text-color:#e5f6f8)[M](text-color:#def3f6)[O](text-color:#d8f1f4)[S](text-color:#d1eff3)[T](text-color:#cbedf1)[ ](text-color:#c4eaef)[B](text-color:#bee8ed)[R](text-color:#b7e6eb)[I](text-color:#b1e3ea)[L](text-color:#aae1e8)[L](text-color:#a4dfe6)[I](text-color:#9ddce4)[A](text-color:#97dae2)[N](text-color:#90d8e1)[T](text-color:#8ad6df)[ ](text-color:#83d3dd)[C](text-color:#7dd1db)[O](text-color:#76cfda)[M](text-color:#70ccd8)[E](text-color:#69cad6)[T] MY (text-colour:red)[MOTHER] SAID I WAS JUST ANOTHER DUMB CHILD TO CAST OUT.

=><= I WAS BORN WITH BOILING BLOOD IN MY BODY AND A RAGE THAT WAS BARELY CONTAINED IN MY CHEST-CAGE. I WAS FORMED INTO THIS EXPLOSIVE STAR OF ANGER BY MY CREATOR, (text-colour:red)[HER]. [[You don't have to follow her.]] [[Who are you ?]]

=><= WHAT ? [[A hug. It's a signal of ... comfort, between us mortals.]]

=><= IS THERE ANY OTHER PATH FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME TO TAKE ? IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY EXCEPT THE ONE A (text-colour:red)[PARENT] HAS TRODDEN FOR THEIR YOUNG ? MY EYES HAVE BEEN BLINDED AND ALL I CAN WALK IS THE SAME PATH (text-color:#ffffff)[A](text-color:#fcfafa)[G](text-color:#faf5f5)[A](text-color:#f7f0f0)[I](text-color:#f5ecec)[N](text-color:#f2e7e7)[ ](text-color:#f0e2e2)[A](text-color:#eddddd)[N](text-color:#ebd8d8)[D](text-color:#e8d3d3)[ ](text-color:#e5cfcf)[A](text-color:#e3caca)[G](text-color:#e0c5c5)[A](text-color:#dec0c0)[I](text-color:#dbbbbb)[N](text-color:#d9b6b6)[ ](text-color:#d6b2b2)[A](text-color:#d3adad)[N](text-color:#d1a8a8)[D](text-color:#cea3a3)[ ](text-color:#cc9e9e)[A](text-color:#c99999)[G](text-color:#c79595)[A](text-color:#c49090)[I](text-color:#c28b8b)[N](text-color:#bf8686)[ ](text-color:#bc8181)[A](text-color:#ba7c7c)[N](text-color:#b77878)[D](text-color:#b57373)[ ](text-color:#b26e6e)[A](text-color:#b06969)[G](text-color:#ad6464)[A](text-color:#aa5f5f)[I](text-color:#a85b5b)[N](text-color:#a55656)[ ](text-color:#a35151)[A](text-color:#a04c4c)[N](text-color:#9e4747)[D](text-color:#9b4242)[ ](text-color:#993e3e)[A](text-color:#963939)[G](text-color:#933434)[A](text-color:#912f2f)[I](text-color:#8e2a2a)[N](text-color:#8c2525)[ ](text-color:#892121)[A](text-color:#871c1c)[N](text-color:#841717)[D] [[I'm sorry. I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry]]

=><= MY (text-colour:red)[CREATOR] NEVER HUGGED ME. (text-colour:red)[SHE] NEVER DARED TOUCH ME OR GLANCE MY WAY. I AM TOO FRAGILE, TOO EXPLOSIVE. ... A HUG WOULD BE NICE, THOUGH. [[Bring it in.]]

=><= WHAT ARE YOU -- ... . . . OH. ... THANK YOU, CHILD. I ... THANK YOU. [[Can I ask you a question ?]]

=><= OF COURSE. YOU HAVE SHOWN ME SO MUCH KINDNESS, I MUST REPAY IT SOMEHOW. ASK ME ANYTHING. [[Who is she ?]] [[Who are you ?]]

=><= MY (text-colour:red)[CREATOR]. (text-colour:red)[SHE] IS CRUEL. (text-colour:red)[SHE] IS UNFORGIVING. MORTALS REVERE (text-colour:red)[HER] FOR A MASK THAT (text-colour:red)[SHE] PUTS ON. UNDERNEATHE (text-colour:red)[SHE] IS UGLY, FOR (text-colour:red)[HER] FACE BEARS (text-colour:red)[HER] TRUE SOUL. SOME SAY I BARE RESEMBLANCE TO (text-colour:red)[HER]. SUCH IS MY CURSE. [[I think you look very kind.]]

=><= YET ANOTHER KINDNESS. THANK YOU, CHILD. I WISH I WAS KIND. I AM NOT MADE FOR KINDNESS. I AM MADE FOR THE FIRES AND TEETH AGAINST FLESH AND WAR AND FAMINE AND SICKNESS <div>AND DEATH AND DEATH AND DEATH AND DEATH</div> [[Hey, it's okay.]] [[I'm sorry. I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry]]

=><= IT ISN'T. I WASN'T MEANT TO HOLD SUCH KINDNESS INSIDE OF ME. IT ALMOST HURTS. [[... Can I ask one last question ?]]

=><= WE ARE SELFISH TOGETHER. WE BOTH TAKE AND WANT AND NEED AS ANYONE WOULD DO BUT WE ARE SELFISH. WE DO NOT DESERVE THESE THINGS. YOU ARE LIKE ME AND I AM LIKE YOU AND WE ARE LIKE EACH OTHER. DO YOU KNOW MY PAIN ? [[I'm not like you.]] [[Yes.]]

=><= YOU ARE LIKE ME. YOU CAME TO A STRANGER AND WHINED ABOUT A STORY THAT IS NOT YOURS. I CAME INTO THIS WORLD CRYING AND WHINING ABOUT BEING COLD. WE ARE THE SAME. YOU ARE LIKE ME. WE ARE SELFISH CREATURES TOGETHER, LIKE (text-colour:#fab005)[SIBLINGS]. ARE YOU OF MY (text-colour:#fab005)[SIBLINGS] ? [[I am of your siblings.]] [[We are nothing alike.]]

=><= YOU ARE ALSO A LIAR. MY (text-colour:#fab005)[SIBLINGS] ARE HIGH AND GOLDEN AND RADIATE LIGHT THAT I ONCE HAD. YOU ARE A LIAR LIKE I AM. WE ARE SO MUCH MORE ALIKE THAN I THOUGHT. (text-color:#ffffff)[W](text-color:#fbf7f7)[E](text-color:#f7efef)[ ](text-color:#f2e7e7)[A](text-color:#eedfdf)[R](text-color:#ead7d7)[E](text-color:#e6cfcf)[ ](text-color:#e1c7c7)[B](text-color:#ddbfbf)[O](text-color:#d9b7b7)[T](text-color:#d5afaf)[H](text-color:#d0a7a7)[ ](text-color:#cc9f9f)[W](text-color:#c89797)[E](text-color:#c48f8f)[ ](text-color:#bf8787)[A](text-color:#bb7f7f)[R](text-color:#b77777)[E](text-color:#b36f6f)[ ](text-color:#ae6767)[W](text-color:#aa5f5f)[E](text-color:#a65757)[ ](text-color:#a24f4f)[W](text-color:#9d4747)[E](text-color:#993f3f)[ ](text-color:#953737)[W](text-color:#912f2f)[E](text-color:#8c2727)[ ](text-color:#881f1f)[W](text-color:#841717)[E] WE ARE WOLVES AMONG SHEEP AND WHEN WE REND WE CRY TEARS INTO THEIR WOOL. WE ARE SELFISH AND LIARS AND (text-color:#ffffff)[H](text-color:#faf6f6)[U](text-color:#f6eeee)[R](text-color:#f1e5e5)[T](text-color:#eddddd)[ ](text-color:#e8d4d4)[A](text-color:#e4cbcb)[N](text-color:#dfc3c3)[D](text-color:#dbbaba)[ ](text-color:#d6b2b2)[A](text-color:#d1a9a9)[N](text-color:#cda0a0)[D](text-color:#c89898)[ ](text-color:#c48f8f)[A](text-color:#bf8787)[N](text-color:#bb7e7e)[D](text-color:#b67676)[ ](text-color:#b26d6d)[A](text-color:#ad6464)[N](text-color:#a85c5c)[D](text-color:#a45353)[ ](text-color:#9f4b4b)[A](text-color:#9b4242)[N](text-color:#963939)[D](text-color:#923131)[ ](text-color:#8d2828)[A](text-color:#892020)[N](text-color:#841717)[D] DON'T LEAVE ME. [[What are you ?]] [[I won't leave.]]

=><= WE ARE ALIKE WE ARE WE ARE WE ARE WE SHARE IN THIS PAIN AND WE AREN'T FIT FOR THE LIGHT AND WE ARE THE SAME. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STAY STAY STAY STAY [[I won't leave.]] [[Goodbye.]]

=><= YES YES YES YES YES YES (text-colour:red)[SHE] SAID I WOULD NEVER FIND ONE LIKE ME BUT I FOUND ONE LIKE ME AND WE ARE HERE TOGETHER AND YOU WON'T LEAVE ME. EVERYONE ELSE LEFT ME AND I WAS ALONE BUT YOU ARE HERE I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE <div>AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN</div> [[Hey, it's okay.]]

=><= OF COURSE. [[What are you ?]]

=><= <div>NONONONONONONONONONO</div> YOU HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION TO ASK I KNOW IT I CAN SEE IT. ASK YOUR QUESTION. STAY FOR JUST THAT. <div>PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.</div> [[What are you ?]]