A Letter to My Destroyer | Teen Ink

A Letter to My Destroyer

February 9, 2015
By Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand


Dear Sir Immanuel Sisteme,
 
It has been such a long time since we have last conversed; and yet so much has occurred –so much, ironically, concerning you. It seems now that all the problems of my universe are circling around your world. And with sincerest regrets I must admit that this acquaintance now ceases in its existence. 
However, before saying such a brash statement I must begin at the beginning, to when it all began. Life was in good manner in those times, and I was content, fulfilling my daily duties with a certain pride and hope. Josephine and I were on pleasant terms, and I appreciated her deeply with each hour of each day. You see Sir—Josephine and I had been friends for a lifetime, knowing each other since the first dawn of our lives.
As we matured and aged, our friendship blossomed into a love and I had an eternal dream that we would live in mutual respect of one another. However, those dreams were never given a chance…for you burned them as infants, making sure that they blossomed into ashes and nothing more. With each intricate, delicate, beautiful branch of our trust and dependency of one another, you peeled them away with every confident stride you took.
You forced my Josephine and I to be recognized as two independent beings, contrary to our promise to be one universal soul. And now? What do I see when I look upon the face of my once past companion? I see a woman who has sunk to the depths of self despair, a woman who you are corroding away with each passing day. Your words, my dear Immanuel Sisteme, are like black armadas, hiding within the cover of night and attacking from beneath—in stealth. And with each syllable—each letter—you slowly corrode Josephine, and in turn, me, away. And you are slow in your process, excruciatingly slow. So, when our death day waits before us, you sit upon your throne of sins with your curled sneer, and we lay aghast—aghast at the notion that you could commit such malicious acts.
We placed our trust upon your shoulders and because of you, my love has transitioned from Josephine Normia to Josephine Artistia. And whom may I ask made her change her name, change her identity? You. You thought I could not find her, but you were utterly wrong, my friend. You see, we are one and we can never be separated no matter the distance, no matter the change, no matter the unhurried disintegration.
Why am I writing this letter of insulting offenses? To thank you. Thank you for making my life a living hell, and making me reconsider all that I am, and why I was placed upon this beautiful Earth, only to face this type of suffering until the last violet dusk of my life. And before I depart, I have but one question to leave you pondering until the day that you die: why me?

Sincerely,
Theodore Doby


The author's comments:

Hi everyone. This letter is about someone's experience with the auto-immune disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave a comment :)

A little clue as to who the characters are/ what they mean:
Immanuel Sisteme = Immune System
Josephine Normia = Normal Joints
Josephine Artistia = Joints Arthritis
Theodore Doby = The Body


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 2 comments.


on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:22 am
Samtom311 PLATINUM, Delray Beach, Florida
27 articles 3 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." -Ayn Rand

Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

Samtom311 said...
on Apr. 10 2015 at 6:21 am
Thank you! Oh, I wasn't aware of my repititon. I shall keep that in mind the next time I write something. :)

JRaye PLATINUM said...
on Apr. 8 2015 at 11:27 pm
JRaye PLATINUM, Dorr, Michigan
43 articles 10 photos 523 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you."

"Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, 'I just don't care.'?"

This was a very interesting piece! The imagery was very unique and different, although I never would've figured it out myself if you hadn't explained in the authors note - I will say there were some repetitive phrases, like "I must BEGIN at the BEGINNING where it all BEGAN" or "Josephine and I had been friends for a LIFEtime, since the first dawn of our LIVES". Besides that, this is really well written and especially unique :)

Hanban12 ELITE said...
on Apr. 5 2015 at 5:53 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them."
Henry David Thoreau

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once."
John Green

Hey, Lisha! Long-time-no-Internet see! Haha, I already told you what I thought about this, but I thought I'd let you know again after re-reading it: I really, really love the symbolism of everything, and how you really have to think of how to apply the characters to what they actually mean. I like how you can read it without knowing the metaphorical aspect of it too; it's great in that sense, as well as in how there is a deep character development put into the "narrator." Great job with this, please keep writing! :)