better to be hated for what you are / than loved for what you are not

I was thinking that being a demon and a ghost must be very difficult, even for Charles. If he ever forgot or let his disguise drop for a minute, he would be recognized at once and driven away. He must be extremely careful to use the same voice every time and present the same face and same manor without a slip. He must be constantly on guard against betraying himself. I wondered if he would turn back to his true form when he was dead.
Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

At least you warn them; tell them that you're half mad, weird. A flight animal. A social mess. A ghost, unreal. Cool, calm & collected on the surface but inside a raging storm, a scary lunatic. They want to love you as you are, oh yes, but aren't they talking of Dr Jekyll, not knowing that it is Mr Hyde they seek? And even IF they love the real you - the one who was told more than 40 years ago she'll end up in an asylum if she doesn't learn to hide her true self better - wouldn't you despise them for their stupidity?



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