An eighteen year old girl should not have to be surrounded

An eighteen year old shouldn’t need to drown in their thoughts

A person should never be consumed

 

My friend is no longer my friend

They are completely and totally possessed by a grey demon

A grey demon who is taking them apart from the inside out

He starts by first taking their self-confidence

Twisting and mangling it until not a shred of it remains

 

Then he moves on to their conscience

He makes them think that all it takes is a little release

“One little cut, and you will feel free.”

 

Once that small inconsequential deed has been done

He urges them more

“Wasn’t that nice?” he whispers, “Don’t you want to do it again?”

They continue on with their righteous blade slashing against their enemy

For the grey demon has made it known that he is their enemy

And they must fight against him

No matter what the damage is to themselves

 

The grey demon keeps ripping away at the soul of my friend

He yanks and shreds and cuts every last little bit of the relationships they had

He makes them feel like no one has ever cared

He nudges them with little suggestions, and they just keep escalating

“What if it all ended? What if I could make it all go away?”

 

 

The grey demon tells them that they won’t have to do much

He’ll take care of the prep work

He’ll find the supplies and location

All the host has to do is be ready to do what they have both decided

 

The magical cure has been acquired by the pharmaceutical wizard

The location has been chosen, a place of comfort and familiarity

All that is left is for them to go along with the demons plan

“Do it! Do it now!” The demon bellows.

 

They look down at the cure to their problems

The white capsules gleam in the light

All it will take are a few and then it will be forever light

They swallow the cure and the grey demon roars with cheer

For the deed has been done and they are already leaving

The last thing they hear is a bang and a scream

 

I run through the door, as it slams against a wall

I no longer see my friend laying on their bed

I only see the grey demon that has resided in their head

I call the paramedics and feel for a pulse

I cry tears of relief when I feel the little “Thump thump, thump thump”

 

I can’t wake them up

I scream their name

I need them to stay here in this world until help can arrive

I shake them

No response is to be had

Thankfully I see the ambulance scream to a stop outside the house

They hustle in

And seize my friend

And haul them into the white life van

 

I am not family so I cannot tag along

So I follow behind and keep my friend in my thoughts

What if the last time I see her is when she was lying in her bed

No longer my friend but the grey demon instead

 

I plan for her funeral in my head

The eulogies of this great person who could be dead

Me up at the alter with tears in my eyes signing

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.”

 

When I arrive at the hospital all I can see

Is the shell of my friend

Filled with a grey demon

And there is no part of them left

 

I get pushed to the waiting and am told to wait

I pace back and forth and cry a little more that day

My friend’s parents arrive with fear in their eyes

As I tell them how their only child had almost died

They pace by my side

Waiting for answers

Until a doctor comes out and asks for the parents

 

We all look up, they dart to the doctor

I stay seated and wait to hear what is said

They can see my friend now, she is finally stable, we will need to speak with you soon

There is a lot on the table

 

They say I can come too

And the tears fill my eyes as I see you lying there on that bed like you might as well have died

The next day you finally wake up

You cry and cry and you just cannot stop

The grey demon is still inside you

Continuing to rage

But your family and friends are here now so it will all be ok

 

As the weeks go on you have to stay in the hospital

To get some help from hospitals mental exorcist

They speak to you everyday

And slowly and painfully I see the grey demon fade away

 

Your first weapon is a weak smile that is a shadow on your face

But soon you are fighting against him with explosions

A bomb from a real smile

A missile from a laugh

A nuclear explosion from when you realized all that had happened

 

The grey demon fights back but now you are stronger

with an army of people who love you at your back

 

Finally you are able to sign your own discharge papers

And finally go home

And continue to live your life without the fear of the grey demon

 

You change the wallpaper in your bedroom

And burn the previous bedding

Getting rid of the last remnants of the horrid grey demon

 

So my friend

I hope someday you read this

To see that when it comes to the epic battle you fought

You succeeded

 

You vanquished the grey demon from the kingdom that is your mind

You overcame the peril he caused and the damage and hurt he provided

For this I am proud of you

And you have become so strong

Because you have grown resilient

And there is no longer a fear of any demon

 

The pain was not forgotten

The incident will forever be remembered

but the evil has been vanquished

And your kingdom set free

It may not be happily ever after

But it’s close enough to me