Sadness. That was the name of my first friend. She was with me ever since I could remember. We held hands through the good and bad. Pain joined us a little later. He, on the other hand, came and went constantly, though it seemed he was around more often than not. Anxiety was an odd little girl. She sat in dark corners, looking, watching. Sometimes I even thought she was stalking me. But one day she came out into the open and joined Sadness and me.


As I grew older I began to think more. As Pain glared at me I only looked back, wondering why he stayed with me so often. Anxiety matured. She slowly got over her shyness and almost always slept by my side, opposite of Sadness. I often spent nights crying, the girls holding me close.


It was during those years that I met Pleasure. She took the other two girls out every so often. I didn't miss their company, though. It was nice to have time alone. Sometimes they were gone for the whole day. But they always returned at night to sleep next to me in my bed.


When I graduated and moved in to a small apartment my friends came, too. Well, all except Pain, who only stopped by a few times a year. I got an okay job. Working life was difficult at points, but I was never left alone; my friends were always with me, even at work. The only times they ever left were with Pleasure.


I was always questioning things at that point. Why are we here? Why do people hurt each other? Why don't people help each other? Sadness and Anxiety could never answer any of these things for me.


After a few years I met a man named Disgust. He answered all of my questions, and more. He came by rarely at first, but more often over time, until he also began living with me.


I looked down on the world from my high perch. I saw a man stealing, an old lady being harassed, two men fighting over property, boys drawing graffiti on walls, and so many other inconsiderate acts that my mind couldn't process them all. Disgust pointed each out to me, one by one.


I didn't want to live in a world like that.


I held Sadness's and Anxiety's hands as I cried. Why couldn't we all just get along? I stepped forward and let gravity take me closer to the world's chaos, then away from it all.


My friends loved me so much, enough to die with me.