The way the sun sliced through the blinds . A blade of light, cutting the dust motes in half. Something about that sharp edge, it was almost… violent. Like everything is just barely held together. The coffee tasted metallic today, i swear. Like i'm drinking rust. The mask is getting easier to wear, that's the problem. isn't it? The ease. Almost seamless now. Except then there's the scream in the car, the release, like a pressure valve about to explode, and the smile walking in the door after that is a lie.