6

Everyone has demons. Demons that whisper in their ears, demons that tempt them, demons that push them that much closer to the edge. Some have small ones, which are easy to ignore and to silence. Their whispers are barely heard by their owners, and sometimes, just sometimes, the demon leaves them be. They're the happiest people, as expected. Some have medium ones. These are the most common. The whispers are loud, but not to the point that it's impossible to tune out. They may sometimes hold people back, but they make it through, albeit with a bit of effort. The whispers sometimes hurt, but the owners recover fast enough. The demon may be strapped to their back, or hidden in a backpack, or tied to a leash connecting to their arm, but it's never too heavy. Slight discomfort, maybe, but not unbearable.

And then there are the big ones.

They could be like a blanket. The owners wrapped tightly inside them, suffocating and struggling but never being able to escape. Not without help. And yet, they don't want to ask for help. The demons are attached to them like glue, whispering, nay, screaming in their ears. Seeping into their thoughts and corrupting them. Cutting them off from the outside world, and trapping their owners inside their own bodies. They could be resting on their shoulders, weighing them down. So, so heavy. Clinging to their back, pulling them down with the weight of their problems. The owners don't ask for help, and the few that may notice them struggling? They don't know what to do, so they do nothing. Oh, how they regret it.

Regret makes demons bigger.

Esteem affects them.

You can't carry the weight of everything alone. But we're stubborn like that, aren't we? Don't worry, I'm not judging.

I just wish we were different.

Maybe then we'd be less terrified of asking someone to help us shoulder our demons before they drag us down.

Help.