• It was Christmas time at the Hoffman house. In this house lives a girl, Lune. With Luna lives her mother, father and brother Jim. For as long as Luna could remember she always had her eyes closed. Maybe it was because it felt like her eyes were going to bleed. Only she knows. This Christmas was supposed to be special; she thought she had a good guy in her life (Tony); she thought she had her friends; she thought she had her sister (Boo).

    She used to tell Boo and Tony everything, but that soon changed. Certain things would hurt Tony to a point where he would emotionally shut down. Boo wouldn’t want to talk to her, she would just say “ok”, she was fading away from Luna. Everything just seemed to be going downhill. She lost a few of her friends that Christmas and a few just went emotionally numb and hadn’t realized it. Bugs and Orirebel went emotionally numb and Sunshine got angry with Luna for no apparent reason. Although she tries and tries, no matter what she does, she can’t make them feel better. She always tells them, “If you fall, or stumble down, I'll pick you up off the ground. If you lose faith in you, I'll give you strength to pull through it. Tell me you won't give up cause I'll be waiting if you fall. You know I'll be there for you” Sometimes she just wants to say, “Help me” but she won’t, she won’t put herself before others. She just takes a breath to pull herself together. It’s just another step till she reaches the door. No one will ever know the way it tears her up inside to see them. She wishes that she could tell them something to take it all away.

    Sometimes she wants to go back to how things used to be, her easy fix to everything, her drug if you will; the knife. “She's back on drugs again. Even though she knows it ain't right. She can't even call up her friends. And say "help me save my life". She's so ashamed of herself that. She's come full circle. Nobody understands what it's like to. Be this girl. So she disappeared, and she. Wasn't clear, and she. Didn't say where she was going” Sometimes she just wishes she could fade away. She just feels so alone inside, even when she’s in a room full of people. She never knows what to do and she doesn’t want to ask for help. There really isn’t anyone for her to ask anymore is there?

    She talked to Boo and she tried to reassure Luna that she wasn’t alone. Luna agreed with Boo, but the feeling never faded. She still felt alone and cold always. Never knowing what to do, never knowing how to handle anything, just wanting to help those she cared for.

    It was finally Christmas time and Luna’s family all bailed. Her mother went to work, her father went drinking, and Jim went out. Luna stayed at home like always, alone and afraid. She knew her father would come home drunk and hit her, but she wouldn’t tell anyone. She knew her ribs would be bruised for a few weeks, but no one would know. She still felt alone, sitting in the darkness of her room, ashamed to talk to anyone. Ashamed to tell Boo or Tony any of what she knew was going to happen. Maybe she should pick up her easy fix again, maybe that would be the answer. What if she cuts too deep, what if she never rises again? No one would know until school started up again, and that’s only if people notice. Maybe she will go back to her easy fix….

    (Do you think she should go back to her easy fix?)

    ….One day she finally opened her eyes and saw that she was alone.