S M Holland

"You'll tell Mom if you're not doing good?"I nod again, my throat's too tight to speak."I'm serious, you'll tell her this time?""Yes sir." My heart bangs on my rib cage."Promise?" Dad pushes."Promise." I lie. I could never do that to her again. I'm stronger this time.New school. New year. It's all too familiar for military brat, Sara Parker. After her dad gets deployed, the darkness in her mind is set free, wreaking havoc on every aspect of her life.Stuck in the bottom of a pit with no one to turn to, Sara's world comes crashing down as everyone around her discovers her secrets, one scar at a time.

"You can't help the feelings you are experiencing. You can't stop the thoughts from popping into your head. BUT, let me tell you what you can do, Daniel." Dr. Hannah leans forward like he's about to tell me some great secret. "You can choose not to act on those thoughts and compulsions you are having. Isn't that great news?" I stare at him. Does he think I'm dumb? If it were that easy, wouldn't I have stopped already?It's his senior year, and everything seems to be going well; captain of the soccer team, perfect girlfriend, student body president. But there's something most people don't know about Daniel. He's struggled with OCD for as long as he can remember. When Daniel's parents inform him that their marriage has ended, his carefully controlled life starts to fall apart. An avalanche of circumstances threatens to take him under. Slowly, he loses control of his perfect world and of himself. Will he learn to navigate his new reality, or will he fail?

"Given Cameron Waters' history of traumas in and outside of foster care, we believe he was acting in self-defense toward his foster parent's abusive behaviors...We see a great potential of rehabilitation in him. He's a good kid," Garry argues. "Good kids don't hit their foster parents and destroy other people's property." My stomach drops as I look down at my fingers, twitching like spiders, wishing they could climb up the walls and disappear. I don't remember everything that happened. It was self-defense. Wasn't it? He started beating on me first. Right? Would they believe that? At what point does flight become fight? Cameron has reached his threshold. Will he run? Or will he fight back? On a journey of finding family, peace, and love, he must first learn to win the battle in his head.

"Given Cameron Waters' history of traumas in and outside of foster care, we believe he was acting in self-defense toward his foster parent's abusive behaviors...We see a great potential of rehabilitation in him. He's a good kid," Garry argues."Good kids don't hit their foster parents and destroy other people's property." My stomach drops as I look down at my fingers, twitching like spiders, wishing they could climb up the walls and disappear. I don't remember everything that happened. It was self-defense. Wasn't it? He started beating on me first. Right? Would they believe that?At what point does flight become fight? Cameron has reached his threshold. Will he run? Or will he fight back? On a journey of finding family, peace, and love, he must first learn to win the battle in his head.

Everyone at some point in their lives has to ask themselves if they are crazy. We all experience the world differently -- but what if your thoughts and actions are too different? When people venture away from societal norms, those around them become afraid. They don't understand. But what if you could understand? What if you could get in someone else's head? All Jared wants to know is what he did wrong. Abandoned by his family and made to live in a mental hospital that feels more like hell, Jared is forced to face the monster within.On the outside he might seem like your average teenage boy, but on the inside, his mind is threatening to tear him apart.

Everyone at some point in their lives has to ask themselves if they are crazy. We all experience the world differently -- but what if your thoughts and actions are too different? When people venture away from societal norms, those around them become afraid. They don't understand. But what if you could understand? What if you could get in someone else's head? All Jared wants to know is what he did wrong. Abandoned by his family and made to live in a mental hospital that feels more like hell, Jared is forced to face the monster within.On the outside he might seem like your average teenage boy, but on the inside, his mind is threatening to tear him apart.

"You'll tell Mom if you're not doing good?"I nod again, my throat's too tight to speak."I'm serious, you'll tell her this time?""Yes sir." My heart bangs on my rib cage."Promise?" Dad pushes."Promise." I lie. I could never do that to her again. I'm stronger this time.New school. New year. It's all too familiar for military brat, Sara Parker. After her dad gets deployed, the darkness in her mind is set free, wreaking havoc on every aspect of her life.Stuck in the bottom of a pit with no one to turn to, Sara's world comes crashing down as everyone around her discovers her secrets, one scar at a time.