I wake up and for a second I feel utter bliss-- before reality hits. There is something clouding and taking control of my emotions. It's made me lazy and unresponsive. I have no tolerance for school and am failing most exams. As if that wasn't enough, I hear voices of people I don't recognize whispering: "who are you if you don't get good grades?".

I try my best to fight it off and study but everyday it wins. Who am I without academics? It's like I've been living for nothing. Everyday is the same and pass in a blur. Each day as unremarkable and forgettable as the last.

I strive for academic excellence because that's all I could be.

Now, with this creature looming over me and chipping away at who I used to be, I have nothing.

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