On the Mountain

by Riley Hart

The land was mine. The money too, not that I cared about that. All I knew was, no one would force me out of my home again.

On the way, I stopped by the local coffeehouse to get my iced, extra-shot latte. I might have given up cocaine and heroin, but I could never give up caffeine. A guy was allowed to have one vice, right?

seemed like she might be trying to be my friend, I was hesitant. I had a knack for hurting people, and for getting hurt myself.

Sometimes it was scary how easy it was to fake it, to pretend you were happy and life was great. Most people didn’t take the time to look, not really, because if they did, they would see most of us were barely hanging on.

I would always choose an animal’s nature over a human’s.

My confusion grew when after a moment, it was the pretty man who got out, the one who wore his sadness like a second skin.

When it came to stupid shit, I never backed down. It was being smart and healthy that had always been more of a challenge for me.

There wasn’t and had never been anything special about me.

In all the years I’d been taking him, I’d never spoken a single word to Bruce.

He looked like he belonged on a runway, and I never understood why a man like him had paid me any attention. Because he can get what he wants out of you. Because he knows you’re dying for attention, and he uses that to control you.

I never judged you for any of the things that are wrong with you.”

okay rude as fuck lmao

“You’re not the kinda guy men are just friends with, babe. And I hate to break it to you, but that’s not worth my flight out here.”

The brave little lamb had spent a lifetime protecting himself, and still stood tall.