A/N: Hey guys, sorry, I'm kind of publishing this since I probably won't be updating Shattered Faces for a while. Sorry. Wow, I say "sorry" a lot, huh? Sorry. Wait, no! I'm not sorry! Wait, no sorry, I said- *Sigh* Fuck. This. Shit. I'm not really sure why I rated this under T, but I did, so whatever. Anyway, you asked for it, so here it is, hope you like it! (: (And I can only hope you all saw that this was published...)

I think we all like to pretend.

To pretend that the world is a good place. To pretend that people aren't cruel. To pretend that life is perfect. To pretend that things like hope and love and miracles exist.

To pretend that there's things worth fighting for.

I think we're stupid until we accept the fact that there's no such things, and stop pretending.

But I'd still always envied other children, who had so much longer to pretend everything was wonderful, while I'd been forced to learn things so much quicker.

I was still very young when reality began stalking me, slowly killing my hope.

Human beings are cruel, much as we would love to deny it. Even young children. We can push people to their edge; make them do things to themselves and others and not care in the slightest. Sometimes we even laugh about it.

Adults are just as wretched, they look the other way, refusing to notice the most obvious things, just so they can continue latching onto their ridiculous idea that humans are good.

I guess you could say I hate the fact that I am one. I do.

What's the difference between me and the rest? I accept the fact that I'm corrupt. I was born that way and I always will be.

If I'd had a different past, maybe I could have been naïve and everyone's definition of perfect.

According to others, I'm pretty, smart, funny, and nice. If anyone knew the monster that hid under my mask, they would run in terror.

It's skin like bricks to endure the harsh attacks. It's razor-like claws to fight. It's sharp teeth and flickering tongue to hurl insults. It's grotesque scars from previous battles and places it harmed itself in depression. It's red eyes to glare, but also to weep.

I'm so glad I'm a good liar.

A/N: It's short, I know. Like...really short. Yeah, I know. Like I said before, I'm not really sure what it was really supposed to be; if it was some sort of Preface to Shattered Faces, or something else entirely. It is rather dark, however, which could possibly be why I like it so much. I probably wrote it while I was off having one of my moments. You know, those ones where I think everything is stupid, and think Life is a big sham, and hate being a human, ect. Fun times. I don't have those moments hardly ever anymore, so I can't write as in-depth for my darker stories; I'm too busy being a bubbly idiot, haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and if you'd like me to write more things - or maybe a whole story - like this, tell me!