A bead of blood slides down his lips fangs

receding as the beast within retreats to

its cave in peace contented with dining

once again

He does not know how it came to

this does not know why it hurts to

breathe does not know why he is

crying

Left to ponder his actions he encounters a

blank a chunk of time nonexistent hidden

in the heart of some creature

ancient and pure

A lifeless hand beckons to him a ruined face

stares longingly at him with eyes glazed by

early death hair plastered with blood to a

cracked skull rings and necklaces and slowly...

slowly...

He begins to recognize.

--- There a shock of blood red hair or curly

blonde or even a rebellious streaked purple

and an X-shaped pendant... ---

Please God don't make me remember

--- Tribal tattoos or ladybugs on hips so

many scars he remembers so well injuries

past and present healed... ---

Please God don't make me remember

A haze clears and objects he hated things he

destroyed become faces and people become

the very ones that held him comforted him

Became the ones he loved