A/N: For Priya (sleepy queens), because she is a wonderful person and we both love Machi too. :D
Writen for Priya's Drabble Prompts Challenge, prompt #018 – pressure.
crumbling from pressure
she is like a monument made from flaking stone that falls apart
even with a gentle caress on her hollow cheek. and it hurts when it crumbles;
she screams: a high and grating scream that bites into her skin
and makes her scream even more.
tears are like acid that burns, dripping down her face and pulling evermore
stone away, revealing the still tender skin underneath that no-one can see,
can look at, because she's thrown all these other things in the way
but, you know, if you punch stone head on, it won't shatter
no matter how brittle its outer shell; it's only when you touch it
with tenderness does it fall apart.