As the days go by and the birds fly free, many live their lives in a false reality. They let themselves believe what they see and hear; they're desperate for knowledge and unwilling to face fear. Many are afraid to look death in the eye, while denying their fears allows them to die a little inside. When going through a trial, you can let it penetrate your heart, or harden it to keep the demons from tearing your soul and sanity apart. Your life, your decisions; they affect more than you can fathom. Most of us don't realize the value of our true happiness even while we have them. Life is one of the cruelest teachers I have ever had; it gave me the tests first and the lessons last. Slowly, but surely, I'm losing it all; I feel the happiness and peace in my life taking a long freefall. My soul is hardening; my sanity silently shouts. The cracks in my heart allow everything and everyone in it to slowly fall out. I feel the inevitable change transforming who I was before; I feel my battles leaving their scars to tell the story when I can't anymore. No matter how I put it to you, it will never make sense, but to better understand, know that the first casualty of war is innocence.