And From This Crevice, I Shall Watch

Inside some fortress I seem to have dwelt for my entire life. Watching the tale unfold, never joining the plot. At first just a tunnel, where I cowered scared and quiet. As the monsters took residence in nests outside my tunnel, I watched. I observed them at their worst. I learned to mimic their behavior. I suppose I thought if I could learn to be one of them, they wouldn't turn on me.

For a long time this worked. I watched their hatred and their ugliness manifest and I stayed safe. Hardened by what I saw I refused shelter to others hiding from the monsters. They were weak, they did not have a fortress like mine. There was no need to save them when they could not save themselves. As I matured and became a more of a monster myself, I began to engage my enemies. Pride and the illusion of invincibility made me attack again and again.

No matter how many bones were broken or how many pieces of my soul torn away, I got back up. I fought and I earned my place among the free. Leaving my tunnel to decay I moved on to build a more impressive lair. A solid foundation of pain and destruction, hardened over for lasting strength. Proof that I was a survivor. Great stone walls to shut out the weakness that could tear my fortress down. Endless rooms of doubt and fear to confuse my enemies.

One by one I pushed the monsters back. Made them leave, made them respect the freedom I had worked so hard for. If it took pain to make them run, I would inflict it. If it took indifference, I would retreat to my fortress and imagine they never existed. My strength has grown to such proportions that only I can bring myself down. And bring myself down, I will. Because the only monster remaining, is me.