**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** \ \ One of these days, I really should replace that damn alarm. Can't be good to wake up to a heart attack every morning. \ Nothing left to do here, no way I'm getting back to sleep after that shot of adrenaline. [after 2s; append] \ Up and at 'em! [after 5s; append] \ Get up. [after 8s; append] \ Get Up. [after 15s; append] \ \ ...\ God damn it, [[UP->Bathroom]].There. It's not that hard to leave your comfy bed, now is it. \ <del>All I want is to crawl back into the soft warmth and sleep forever.</del> \ \ Might as well clean up, I look a fright. [after 3s; append] \ Brushing my hair has always been soothing. Except for the knots. How are there so many knots? It's not like I was doing anything last night, I was just *sleeping* in *bed*. [after 8s; append] \ My scales are so pretty. At least, I think so. [after 10s; append] \ ... \ Better pluck those larger scales. Can't let anyone see I'm <del>a monster.</del> <del>dangerous.</del> Wrong. [after 12s; append] \ It hurts, but it has to be done. Everyone will know what I *really* am if they see. At least most of them are too small for anyone to take notice. [after 15s; append] \ Now for the worst part. \ [[Time to file down my teeth.->Teeth]]They've always grown in quite sharp, haven't they? \ My teeth were fairly normal as a child. Then I got older, and my adult teeth weren't coming in flat, like they were supposed to be. [after 2s; append] \ Like everyone *told* me they were supposed to be. [after 5s; append] \ Now, I have to *fix them*, so I won't be a danger to anyone else. [after 10s; append] \ *Scrape.* [after 12s; append] \ *Scrape.* [after 14s; append] \ *Scrape.* [after 18s; append] \ ... [after 20s; append] \ What's worse, multiple small sessions, or one much longer one at the end of every month? [after 25s; append] \ It doesn't matter. I have to do this. If I don't, I'm proving to everyone that I'm just as dangerous as they say. [after 27s; append] \ .... right, time for [[breakfast.->Breakfast]]Eggs and bacon sounds good. [after 2s; append] \ *"Don't eat that, you'll get fat and then nobody will ever love you."* [after 5s; append] \ ... Oatmeal is better. Oatmeal is safe. [after 8s; append] \ That's what you would eat if you were a good person, right? [after 11s; append] \ That's what everyone tells me, anyway. [after 13s; append] \ *"Hungry already? You eat too much. Keep being greedy and you'll grow fangs and scales."* [after 17s; append] \ **Oatmeal is better. Oatmeal is safe.** [after 21s; append] \ *"Don't forget, I love you. I'm the only person that will ever be stupid enough to love you."* [after 28s; append] \ ... Go outside. Get in the sun. Go get the [[groceries.->Groceries]]At least the sun is warm. Doctor said I need to be out of the house more. [after 3s; append] \ Food. *Good* food. A new shirt. Maybe a locking diary? [after 6s; append] \ *"Oh, so that's how you feel about me? After all I've done for you, feeding you, housing you, and you still write about me in your little diary like I'm some sort of **monster**."* [after 9s; append] \ ... forget the diary. Food. Clothes. [after 15s; append] \ Why are they looking at me? Why is everyone staring at me? [after 18s; append] \ *They can see it, they can see what a freak I am, they know what a disgusting monster I am* [after 23s; append] \ *Stop looking at me stop looking at me stop looking at me st**op looking stop looking sto***-- [after 28s; append] \ [[**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**->Wake (again)]]... \ It's not bad enough that I have the world's worst alarm clock, I have to dream about it too? \ It's been a while since I had a dream like that. [after 2s; append] \ Why is my bed always so comfy and warm right when I'm supposed to get up? [after 5s; append] \ Come on, you can do it. [after 8s; append] \ Up we get. [after 15s; append] \ \ ...\ Come on now, [[up->Bathroom (again)]].There, that wasn't so hard. \ Cold now, but it'll pass. \ \ Might as well clean up, I look a fright. [after 3s; append] \ Brushing my hair has always been soothing. Except for the knots. How are there so many knots? It's not like I was doing anything last night, I was just *sleeping* in *bed*. [after 8s; append] \ My scales are so pretty. At least, I think so. [after 10s; append] \ ... \ <del>Better pluck those larger scales. Can't let anyone see I'm a monster. dangerous. Wrong.</del> \ **No.** [after 12s; append] \ How'd that song go? "This is my body, the only thing that I own entirely"? [after 15s; append] \ It is mine, and I like it this way. \ [[Even my sharp teeth.->Teeth (again)]]They don't grow back as fast, now that I've stopped flattening them. They just grew to a certain point, then stopped. \ Wonder why that is? [after 2s; append] \ Doesn't really matter, I guess. They function, and I like how they look. [after 5s; append] \ Or am I just kicking against what I was always told I had to be? [after 10s; append] \ ... [after 12s; append] \ Nah, I definitely like them like this. [after 14s; append] \ And my scales. [after 17s; append] \ My body, my own. [after 20s; append] \ And who knows, [after 24s; append] \ maybe someday [after 28s; append] \ I'll grow wings. [after 32s; append] \ {embed image: 'https://i.ibb.co/WpvRgBp7/Untitled-removebg-preview.png'}