A Cry to the past - The Starts of Self-Harm

A twelve-year-old walked silently down the stairs of her home, and avoided the creaky floorboards as she tiptoed to the kitchen. She slowly pulled a knife out of a drawer and held it to her wrist. She didn't even know how hard she would have to press. She began to drag it across her arm, but all of a sudden there was a bright flash of light, making her shout and jump back.

"You know, razors hurt a lot less than knives, and they make you bleed more."

The twelve-year-old girl yelped when she saw a person sitting on the counter in front of her. This wasn't just any ordinary person either, this person looked like her! The only difference was that the girl on the counter was quite a bit taller.

"Who-who are you?" The twelve-year-old said in a shaky voice.

"Wow. I was so stupid back then... Anyway! I am you, Therese Sholts, but three years older. I came to tell you something that could possibly change your life." Older Therese jumped off the counter and approached young Therese. "Do you know what will happen to you if you use that knife on yourself?"

"Um... I'll start bleeding and it'll feel really good?"

Older Therese shook her head. "No. Listen to me. If you use that knife today, in one year you're wrists will be scarred beyond belief. One year after that, you will be telling your parents that you ate earlier, or you're just not hungry, because when you look at yourself in the mirror you see a fat hulking idiot. One year after that, you're mom will drag you to a doctor to see what's so wrong with your brain, and do you know what started all that?"

"What?"

"That little knife in your hand. So do us both a favor, put it back, and never think about self-harm again. Okay?"

Young Therese nodded, still slightly in shock, as she slipped the knife back into the drawer. "Okay..."

Older Therese smiled. "Good girl. I'll see you in three years."

And with another bright flash of light, older Therese was gone. Little Therese shook her head.

"What the heck just happened?"

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