Known by the shadows I krept with them wherever I went. I clung to them, and to the darkness they gave me.

The darkness embraced me. It sheltered me away from the rest of the forsaken world. I thought that it was where I belonged. 

No one was allowed in, for the shadows contained the only friends I needed. Alone with who I was, and the thoughts that would kreep in I kept to them.

They told me things about who I was. They told me what was believed to be the truth.

"Fat."

"Ugly."

"Useless."

"What's the point of living if no one loves you?"

I found the answeres through a blade sharper than the words. Physically harming my outter skin somehow seemed to proect that of the inner. Though those shadows those voices crept in everday. 

Being in the shadows was the only way that seemed to make me 'okay'. I thought they were my friends these voices. They made sense to me. They understood.

Still in the corners of my darkness I could see the smallest ounce of light shining through. I began to beg for it, plead for it. Yet the shadows said no. They pulled my away further into the abyss of my darkness. There I stayed affraid if I were to go back towards that light I would be dragged further back. Until one day the words my friends said overtook everything that I was. I almost let the darkness over take me forever....

Then one day I dropped my blade. A new voice began to enter into my shadows. It was different than the ones of my friends. It was kinder, gentler. The voice was that of my own. My friends tried to cal me back. I wanted to go back so many times, but I fought for my voice to be heard. 

"Beautiful."

"Powerful."

"Strong."

"You can make it through this."

My voice screamed for me to follow it. I crawled out of my darkness slowly day by day. Until finally I found the light. My voice was cheering along with thousands of others. I emerged from the darkness battered, scared, and hurt yet, I was met on the other side with deafening cheers. I crumpled to the ground at this glorious sound. 

Everything in me began to feel different, and new. I could feel the change erupting from inside of me. I looked up from where I was, and in front of me was a mirror. No longer did I see a darkened girl who longed for the shadows, but instead I could see someone who could live happily. She still had her scars, but they no longer bothered her. She could finally view herself, and say the words. "I Am Flawlwss." I could finally tell myself  "I Am Flawless".