The stinging sensation began in the upper left hand corner as the ink was scratching its way into my skin. The feeling was irritating and burning me. After a few seconds the burning would stop but was continuous down the rest of my body. Rough, sweaty, dirty hands were pressing to the right of each etching. Then the crumpling and crushing began.
It was immediately after the scratching was done covering me from head to foot, front to back. I was torn out of my home with my family and friends. Then I felt pressure folding me into halves. my bones were being snapped, and I heard them cracking and rustling. I fought the shaky, sweaty hands. I only drew blood once as their fingers were were running over a particularly painful crease. Then the rustling stopped. A teacher passed by as the sweaty hands pinched me under the table. The teacher passed and I was flying. I felt air flowing beneath my new wings. I had never felt anything like this before, and just as I was feeling free, fear took hold of me. I realized I felt the pull of gravity on my new "nose". I was about to dive-no, crash into the table. I would land directly in front of a pretty, young, brunette. Her name was carved into my upper left hand corner.
As she closed her book I slid along the cover. I felt the eyes of the sweaty-palmed boy staring nervously at the girl. She glanced back at him and smiled and blushed. A goofy grin crawled across his face as he waved. She began slowly relieving the pressure of each fold delicately with her soft hands. Already, I liked this girl much more. She began to read every one of my scars. Then she re-read them, smiling the entire time. She grabbed a pink pen and lightly traced the words, "I love you too, Michael." followed by a drawing of a heart. Then the girl pulled out her lipstick and kissed the top of my head. Her kiss made everything I had gone through worth it. It was really too good to be true.
Soon after I felt a pain in my heart as she began to fold me again. The teacher passed as she hurriedly slammed me between the pages of her binder. Soon after, she retrieved me and ripped a tear into me as she pulled me from the binder. The tear was right over my heart. I felt my broken heart as she lightly tossed me back in the direction of the nasty hands that belonged to "Michael". Her toss was light and the filling the hole in my heart made the flight even more turbulent. I was terrified. I crashed into the floor.
How could she have done that to me? I could still feel the spot she had stained with her lipstick. As Michael rushed to grab me, a heeled boot crushed me. Still, it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. The teacher's voice boomed, "Michael! I will NOT ask you again! Sit down!" looking defeated, both Michael and the girl, her returned to his seat. The teacher reached to pick me up. She crumpled me into a ball. This still was only the second most agonizing pain I had gone through. She threw me and smiled as I landed in the trash can.
Then, as a bell rang, I felt a hand reach into the waste and save me. Michael had come back for me! As he read the pink message in my margins, his face lit up. He thrust me into his pocket and rushed to catch up to the beautiful girl. He grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him and smiled. As they held hands and he walked her home, I heard everything. She looked at him and said, "Thank you so much for the note! It meant so much to me." He kissed her. Then she looked down and said, " I'm sorry I got you in trouble with it today."
Her apology reached me and my torn heart. The pain was subsiding and I loved her again. I even felt happy for Michael.
When Michael got home, he put me in a shoebox full of pictures and valentines all from the beautiful young girl. Decades later, I am still here. Now though, I love someone more similar to myself. She is flat and her face resembles that of the beautiful girl, but aged slightly. She is in a beautiful white dress. Standing next to her is Michael, aged slightly as well. His face was still lit up as it was the day I met the girl. Every now and then I see Michael and his wife while they tell us stories about the good times they had together. They seem like they lived happily ever after.