Maybe they don’t realize how manipulative they are

If you catch their attention and you have a trait that they admire or wish they could have, they find a way to attach themselves to you

Finds common ground with you

Gets you to like them by being there always

At the right place, at the right time.

Then you’re in their clutches.

You find yourself needing them

Needing to hear their laugh, hear words of  encouragement

Or just be in the presence of their company.

Sounds like a great person, huh?

Here’s the messy part…

They find your weakness and…I don’t know how they do it,

But they somehow make the connection between them and the weakness you might have stronger in a way that even if you overcame the weakness, they would find another

Because you have let them in fully

Let them get to know you deeply.

Then, one day, you realize that you know absolutely nothing about them

Only surface-level things.

You begin listening more intently in your conversations

Pinpointing that when they are attempting to share, they leave out specific details…

Then you start to wonder if it’s intentional.

You hope that it is

 because if it isn’t, this could be a dangerous alternative.

What could have happened in their childhood to create this person in front of you

So inflicted with the inability to truly be themselves

To be the one to let someone in

To finally let their guard down and be the one to be taken care of.

Then, you feel sadness

Because you know from your past experiences

they’ll never admit to you that this part of them exists

They will appear so shocked and confused about your assessment

That you’ll start to believe that you’ve been delusional this whole time

Even feel guilt…

How egotistical of you to think that this person has gone to such great lengths to choose you out of millions of people to manipulate

But remember this,

You’re not delusional

Everything you believed to be true is…true

It happened to you

And will continue to happen to you

Until you dare to let them go

Until they decide to show you who they really are,

Be your own hero.