I was sitting in my creative writing one day and my teacher started talking about introductions. How every day we encounter an interaction. Whether it was a good one or a bad one. I got to thinking about this topic a little more into depth, probably not in the most reasonable way, but I did. There is one thing in specific that I thought about, the introduction of a manipulative person.
The first impression you have of this person is normal. Just as any other conversation, they may be awkward, they may crack a few jokes, but no matter what, you will think nothing of it. This person will basically put on a show to make themselves seem better than they actually are. This isn't uncommon though, we do it at job interviews, to people that have higher power than us, and to well, basically everyone. You ask me, I think introductions are fake. You never meet the actual personality of someone.
Let's skip forward, so you end up dating this perfect person that you met. You have a great time with him and everything is going well. Sounds fake right? Yeah, so you get into an argument one night about something small and meaningless, but the argument is blown out of proportion and you don't know why. A little while later after the fight, this person starts apologizing to you, telling you that you are a great person and they didn't mean anything that they said. So you go on to forgive them and live on with your life. Simple right? No.
Arguments break out more often than they should and all of them are followed by that stupid apology. Those don't mean anything though, they are just small, no worries. It doesn't bother you because they love you. This person buys you gifts, goes on perfect dates with you, and for some odd reason, your mind only thinks about the good things that you two have done. When you describe your significant other to people, you focus on that good part only and never once mention the facts that it isn't all true.
Things get worse and part of you wants to just get up and walk away, but you can't. You remember that time that they told you that you will be together forever. All the words that are positive are flooding your mind and burying the parts that you should be thinking about. The minute that you even remotely mention leaving this person, it all comes loose. Fighting, arguing, and words that will never leave your memory are thrown at you faster than lighting. Just like normal, they will eventually manipulate you into thinking that you can never leave, but you don't realize that is what they are saying because it all sounds sweet and not harmful at all.
It is the last straw and leaving is the only thing on your mind. You prepare yourself for what is going to happen. You now have an open mind to things and can realize that they are manipulating you. Once you successfully leave, you are lost. For the whole relationship, they weren't just manipulating you, they had control of you. Your feelings, words, and actions all are now a damaged mess. You were their puppet doll on strings. You are more than lost, you can't remember how to act yourself like you were before the relationship.
Every day goes by and they will continue trying to pull you back into them. They will try to get ahold of you in any way possible. Because they have made you so vulnerable, you fall back into their trap. You don't mean to, but they have shifted you into their lab rat and you know nothing but just doing what they tell you to. For that reason, they will always have a part of you that you can't get rid of. Even years following you fall apart because of something that they remind you of them or they try reeling you back into the catch.
