When I was little, I made a friend. Well, more like that friend was given to me. Every day, I'd wake up and carry out my life as usual and they would come with me. We'd go for walks together, play around together, go to school together, go to sleep together. Day in and day out, that friend was there for me when others weren't. But then things started to take a turn.

When I was alone, that friend encouraged me that staying inside may be a little safer, although it never really stopped me. "Don't watch that movie trailer or what happens there may happen to you." "Examine every bite of food or you may accidentally eat something dangerous, get sick, and die." "Those people look suspicious." Things like these echoed in my mind day and day out. After a while, I start to reject that friend and even more resent that friend. But every time I would try, they would still follow me around, as a shadow to its person, or as a loyal dog to its human. I was always told, "You need that friend, they keep you grounded." They would do their best to remind me that they love me, and just want to keep me safe, as my mother does for me. They'll keep me grounded. So I kept them around and listened to their every demand, staying out of trouble. Or so it seemed.

As I got older though, I really wanted to end this relationship. That friend became a parasite, sucking away at my energy and positivity, and even brought more friends. There was a constant tug-of-war between me and them, and they always ended up victorious in the end, holding me captive to their deceptive charm. But I noticed something...

This friend had a terminal weakness. Whenever I pulled away from them, they would grow weak and malnourished and a part of them begins to die. When I fed them, with my persistent obedience, they became stronger...and darker. Yes, darker is the word. Speaking of the darkness, they would drag me into it from dusk into the night. The darkness that plagued my mind and made me think my God didn't love me because sometimes I messed up. The darkness that would condemn me, the darkness that would consume me. It consumed me consistently until the twentieth of December, 2015.

I had an epiphany. If I let them, this friend will kill me. That's when I began this fight and it still hasn't ended. I still wake up every morning, greeted by them at my bedside, ready to start the day. They still whisper words of "encouragement" while I'm at work or in a group of people. I still play tug-of-war, but lately, I watch as they slowly get weaker.

I've also noticed something else: that "friend" is not exclusive to me. This friend actually runs the lives of other people around me, the country around me; this friend plagues the lives of millions of other people and succeeded in taking over our government once more. If we let them, Fear will kill us all, like it tried to kill me.