Jason takes the knife from the drawer.

As he gazes onto its smooth steel surface

It reflects an image

That is not his own

Jason takes the knife upstairs

To his room

Where he has prepared for this event

Candles burning and music playing

Far across the kingdom

A boy sleeps

Dreaming fondly of Jason

And of their love

Jason,

In his far-flung room,

Slowly glides the knife across his arm…

“Not side to side…but lengthwise.” He remembers

The boy far away,

Quietly sleeping,

Feels pain in his arm…

But continues his slumber

Jason looks at his arm

He felt nothing from the knife.

So this time he presses harder,

And the nightmare begins

The boy awakens

And peers down at his arm,

Trying to see what is causing him pain,

But the light of the moon is no help

He turns on a lamp,

And sees a ribbon of blood dancing on his left arm

The cut continues from his wrist

Down to his elbow

Jason peers down at his arm.

No blood. No pain.

Not as easy as the last time, he thinks.

So he resolves to push even harder.

The boy screams in agony

As pain rips though his flesh

Down his arm and throughout his body

Metallic death seems moments away

Jason is confused.

He tries so hard to hurt himself,

To escape the torments of this life,

But he feels nothing.

The boy lays silent.

His unmoving eyes stare out at the setting moon

No breath escapes his lips

No movement, other than the slow trickle of blood down his fingertips

Jason has been successful.

He tried hard to kill his pain.

And he did.

The boy is dead.

- For Jason -