Mind growing fuzzy, Memories slipping like sand, Texts grow quiet- She's knows the signs, She's seen them before, Too many years spent fighting this war. Seven years old, She realized her smile was fading, Eight years old, She hid inside herself , retreating. Nine years old, She learned that pain could bring release A quiet kind of comfort, In a world than affected none. No one seemed to notice, She became a master of masks, Wearing a smile she didn't believe, So no one would worry, So no one would ask. She's been braving storms since she was three- Witnessing things no child should see. Moments that stole her innocence, Left her carrying burdens far too heavy, For such small hands. But she still stands, Fading, fighting, surviving- A quiet warrior in her own mind.