Velvet Prison:

Simone’s Notes:

A velvet prison refers to a prison in the mind. Physically, the prisoner is free. But, they are suffering in their mind. They feel trapped. They think that their loved ones are the guards and wards keeping them in their prison, leaving them to die a slow and miserable death all alone. A velvet prison can be tied into mental illness. The best example of a velvet prison is the story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The narrator was locked away in the nursery due to her postpartum depression. She ended up going mad and tearing down the wallpaper. A velvet prison can be a deadly thing.

Edward sat outside in the courtyard. Something Benji yelled out to him wouldn’t leave his head. “I only did it for Winry!!!” the nerd yelled out while the alchemist was still beating on him fiercely. Ed stopped and looked right at him. “What do you mean?” he snapped. Benji sat up in bruises and scrapes. “She’s worried to death about you,” he went on. “She told me about the problems you were having. I felt bad for her and wished I could help. Then when I saw the concern box for Dr. Howard’s class, I filled out five forms and put them in. I only wanted to help!” Ed stood there frozen in confusion. Winry was worried to death about him? He didn’t know what to say. The alchemist just backed up and walked away.

“Has it really gotten that bad?” Edward thought to himself. He began to re-examine his behavior over the last few months. The re-visit was tour through shame. The boy had been to almost every brothel, massage parlor, and strip club on the Red Light District. He was picking up random girls to sleep with for the night. Ed had enough porn to sink a ship. Winry saw him as a big pervert. They still didn’t sleep in the same bed together. Whenever a girl was winking at him, he got an erection. Sex was constantly on Edward’s mind. He just couldn’t escape it. But, that wasn’t the only problem. Ed couldn’t remember the last time he had a decent night sleep. He still either couldn’t sleep or slept with wet dreams. The sleeping drugs were no use now. He still couldn’t sleep. Everyone could see that now. Too many people were telling him to go home and get some rest for a while. Edward tried to wave them off and tell them that he was fine, but it was no use. They didn’t believe him.

Right then, Edward realized something. He had a problem that was beyond his control now. Sex had taken over everything in his life. The boy was on a continuous spiral downwards. “I don’t know how to break it!” he thought in agony. Aw come on pal! It’s not that bad! You can stop anytime you wanted. Edward began to smile at that suggestion. “I can stop if I wanted to!” he thought strongly. But then, sense came back to him again. He had told himself that many times. So far, the boy proved that he couldn’t stop himself. He just had to have more and more relations with different women. The boy had the results from his three STD tests to prove it. Edward really didn’t want to go back in for another one. Nurse Sarker didn’t want to see him again either. It was best to try and avoid each other for decency sake. (That itself wasn’t going to be a walk in the park!)

He sighed aloud again. What was becoming of him? “I’m worse than Ralph and Matt now!” he thought. The boy had been trying to avoid the truth for months now. But now, it was too big to ignore. The problems were his white elephant. There! He did it! Edward Elric had completed the first step. He admitted that he had a problem. So now what? Edward then noticed something odd. The dragon in his soul wasn’t talking at all. Was it too weak to respond? Or was it plotting against him? [Hello? Are you there? Say something you stupid lizard!] No reply at all. There was no torment. There was no pain. There were no urges at all. There was nothing. The dragon was completely quiet. For once in his life, real happiness came to Edward. “I… I… I feel… great now!” he thought. A smile came across his tired face. “I’ve got a class to go to!” the boy thought. Then, Edward hurried back inside the building. Too bad that this victory was going to be short-lived! For Ai-Oni was preparing the star of her show to be born and resurrect the sensual glory days upon Amestris. She had great uses for Ed that had yet to come. Above, the playwright was grinning at her work so far. “Enjoy your blind purity while you still can Fullmetal!” she thought. “Because you too shall be free into my world!” The official start would begin in the winter!