Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The characters that are nameless belong to Jhonen C Vasquez. I make NO money off of this. I'll let you decide who the characters are. There are no wrong answers. Also, this has nothing to do with the Iz Moth/Keefvine Saga. Just something that popped into my head last night. I know it's short, but it's just a drabble.
000
It wasn't a quick and sudden fall. It was a gradual process, a descent to madness. It started easily enough, innocently enough. A few words, heated exchanges, and confrontations would be quick to follow such a simple beginning. It wasn't noticeable, but rather dormant. Years of overuse and abuse hidden by a mask of spirit and power. There was no warning sign, no flag flying in announcement. It was ironic, really. The one thing they'd feared most, tried to fight, was slowly taking over. Perhaps people are blind to their faults, to things they don't want to see. Maybe that was the reason why it began. If one can't see the flames before they burn too bright, how can one expect to extinguish it before it crawled too close? Every smile, every laugh and movement was carefully plotted and calculated. A cacophony of emotions waging an unending battle in the heart, mind, soul. A degeneration so fierce it was a trauma in and of itself. When it exploded at its highest point, it was a complete shock. But maybe if we'd seen the spark of madness in the wild eyes beneath the mask long ago, we could have prevented the utter hell that followed.