you always want a story. well, let me tell you one. let me tell you a very sad story in hopes that it might bring you to tears that will drip on this very same page that you hold steady in front of your eyes. will it really? probably not. i can only hope. you see, it seemed that the decline of her living situation corresponded to the decline of her life. she did not believe that this was cause and effect, but of course, the sadness of change leaked into her already miserable life. while she realized that mind and body are the only real possessions, she could not shake the feeling of loss. she could not convince her mind, that already held so much history and memories, to believe in living out some new-age concept which promoted the theory that having nothing equalled having everything. she curled into a ball and pulled the covers over her head at night, letting tears soak the sheets rather than wiping them away. what did it matter anyway? she would probably never see these sheets again. the bed that she laid on would probably be sold to get money for food. everything was slipping away and she was always alone. people came during the day to take things away, but during the night, it was only her and the ghosts in her head - the ghosts being memories of her past life. she remembered how she used to live, back when she had a back yard, back when her family could afford a few bucks to eat out here and there. she was careless then, taking every moment for granted. she pounded on the piano as loud as she could despite her mother's scolding, "don't break that!" years after that, she remembered the piano being taken away. she hid behind the wall on the stairs while the movers lifted the piano out the door. she saw a man giving her mother a couple hundred dollars. not much, but it would be enough for groceries for the family. she remembered asking her mother later, "mommy, why did those men take the piano away?" and her mother responded, "honey, one day we'll be rich, with butlers and people to cook for us and wait on us all day. when that happens, i'll buy you a much bigger, better piano." she remembered the way her eyes widened at this. "you promise?" she said. her mother had tears in her eyes, but she nodded. it had been ten years and her mother was old now. still, no piano.