I knew there would be no turning back, but still some inner voice continued to urge me on. It felt a little like pulling the trigger on myself.

What was said next would have carved me open in the past, but now, strangely the words seem to have little effect on me. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't affected. One isn't invincible, after all. A dullness began to set in, heavy as lead. It was a thick numbing sensation I carried around, a feeling buried so deep inside it was easy to pretend it didn't exist.