Why live a life
That's painted with pity and sadness and strife?
Why dream a dream
That's tainted with trouble and less than it seems?
Why bother bothering
Just for a poem or another sad song to sing?
Why live a lie?

-Emilie Autumn 'The Art Of Suicide'

Carl walked aimlessly in Orient Town. He didn't have a destination, and he felt numb. Very numb.

Nirvana, or Ada, his sister, walked behind him. She was silent, and her joints creaked as she walked along. I have to find some new parts for her, he thought. Carl was deep in thought, thinking about what parts he could afford to help Ada. He wasn't paying attention, and accidentally ran into someone. "Ah, excuse me," he said.

"Carl?" The young boy looked up, and saw a familiar face. It was Litchi Faye-Ling, a doctor, as well as a role model for him.

"Hi, Miss Litchi," Carl tried to smile, but, to his surprise, he couldn't. He found this odd, but thought nothing of it.

"How have you been?" she asked. She truly cared for him, and his sister.

"Fine. Just kind of wondering, you know?" For some reason, he wanted to leave. He enjoyed Miss Litchi's company, but he felt... tired. Tired and numb.

Litchi smiled. "Do you want to come back to the clinic with me? I was shopping for some groceries to make lunch," she asked, "Linhua brought a cake for her birthday."

"Sure. I'll go, Miss Litchi." Carl tried his best to smile, but it just couldn't happen. He followed Litchi the way he came. Ada, in turn, followed Carl. He thought back to the parts he would have to buy for her.

"Carl, is everything okay?" Litchi asked as she readjusted the paper bags filled with various foods, "You seem... gloomier than usual."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine," Carl said, not really paying attention. Litchi was aware of his self destructive behaviors, as with the incident with the special drug he took. She cared for him. He really was too young to be fighting this much...

"Okay, then," she said, "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" She looked at the child, but noticed something odd about him. His left wrist held a white mark... a scar. Has he... has he been cutting himself? Litchi gasped.

Carl looked up at her. "I know," he said, "Is something the matter?" They continued walking. The crowd in Orient Town was small, with it being early afternoon and a weekday.

"Carl, this may seem like an odd question, but..." Litchi trailed off before collecting her thoughts again, "Have you been cutting yourself?" They stopped walking, and Litchi faced him. She was dead serious.

Carl unconsciously hid his left hand behind him. "N-No..." he muttered. Litchi grabbed his hand, and pulled down his sleeve. Unfortunately, she was right. There were scars from where he had been cutting himself.

"Carl-!" She gasped. He's... so young. He's been through so much. Why was he cutting himself? "Carl... why?"

He pulled his wrist away. "It's nothing you'd understand," he muttered coldly. Nirvana straightened from her usual slouching position.

"We all go through our battles, but what differs from each of us is the people we fight those battles with," Litchi advised, "Whatever's happening, Carl, please know that you aren't alone. I'll listen to you anytime, and I'm sure Bang will do the same."

"Do you have a father that treats everyone like they're objects?" He snapped. Litchi flinched. It was unusual to here such harsh words from the boy. As for Carl, he knew he should have felt anger, or something, but he still felt numb. "Do you even have a father at all?"

Litchi stared at the young boy as if she was trying to figure something out. She cocked her head to the right, and her pink eyes were half closed. Her father never was present in her childhood. Her mother said he died when she was pregnant with her. Her mother was a nurse, working at a well staffed hospital just outside of Shanghai. She considered telling him about her past, but decided against it.

Instead, she said, "You're very angry at your father. And from what he's done, I understand that, but you can't go out hurting yourself or others in your frustration." She smiled, trying to comfort him.

"No. You're wrong," he said, "You don't understand, and you never will. Goodbye, Miss Litchi. Thank you for everything." He walked away. Ada walked behind him, now in her crouch position.

"Carl, wait!" Litchi shouted. She knew she should've went after him, but she didn't. And much to her demise, it would be one of the biggest mistakes in her life.

I don't really like where this is going. I know cutting and suicide are touchy subjects, and I apologize to anyone who finds this offensive.