Smiles

I held too tightly to you…you cried. I loosened my grip, and you flew away. Just don't make me smile anymore…it hurts too much.

XX

"Kory, I'm going out tonight," you said to me.

I didn't let you breath. I took chains and strapped you to a wall and yelled and punished you. You choked on your spit while I said, over and over again, "You're staying here."

Then you said, "Kory, please let me go out."

I told you that you had ten minutes, and when you returned I strapped you to a wall with ropes. You just whimpered and whined, while I said, over and over, "You belong here, Richard."

You told me finally, "Kory, I'm going out and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

I watched as you ran out the door and to join your life. I gave you two hours. Then I ran as fast as I could to where you stood, and I took you from your life and back to mine, and strapped you in soft bed sheets. You slept soundly, and I stroked your cheek until you leaned into my hand. I stopped breathing.

Then one night I spoke first. "Richard, go out tonight."

You began to question me, but I screamed at you to leave and broke down and cried. Out of pity, you stayed and held me through the night. I wanted to make it last forever, but you finally fell asleep and your arms let go of me. I took a wheelbarrow and wheeled you to the street, and dumped your sleeping body on the porch of a nice woman whom I hated very much.

I went home and cried until I couldn't stand to breath. When you came to see me the next day, with the pretty blonde woman on your arm, my throat was so raw I could not speak. So I smiled instead. I smiled brighter than I ever had, and you believed it.

"Thank you, Kory," you said, and you kissed me and then began a kissing frenzy with your girlfriend.

"You're very welcome," I said, and closed the door. I couldn't cry because it hurt too much, so I just frowned. Then my cheeks began to hurt, so I just sat there and looked at the walls.

Soon, my heart began to hurt from an emotionless time. So, I smiled so bright the walls began to peel, and I walked around the house and down the street and by your window with the biggest smile in the whole wide world.

You came a few days later, and I was smiling. You were just checking.

You came again, and I was smiling and talking, because my throat had begun to work again.

You came later still, and I was crying even though you couldn't see.

I grabbed the collar of your shirt and shook you senseless.

"Don't make me smile anymore! Please, Richard, it hurts too much!"