You know how they say, "you can't live without love"? Well, oxygen is even more important.

I stopped talking when I was six years old. I didn't want anything more to do with the outside world, I was happy being quiet. But of course they wouldn't leave me alone. My parents tried every trick in the book, from speech therapists to child psychologists. They even tried bribery...I could have anything, as long as I said it out loud. Of course that episode didn't last forever. I'd made my point and it was time to move on. To peel away the next layer of deceit and see what new surprises lay in store. My school report said I showed no interest. A disruptive influence. I felt sorry for them in a way. And when they finally expelled me, it didn't mean a thing.
The November when I came home, the Christmas decorations were already up...spray on snow, colored flashing lights and an artificial tree that played silent night over and over again. My parents welcomed me with loving arms, but within an hour we were back at each others throats.
Normal, happy childhood back on course, batteries not included.