This is a true story. This is my story. Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of others, but everything in this book happened. I share my story in the hope to inspire people to not kill themselves, or cut themselves, but instead to find productive ways to deal with pain. This book is dedicated to Randy, who killed himself in Iraq in December 2008; to Zachary, who was killed by a house bomb in Iraq in January 2008. Part One: Chicken gate: Why cutting is a bad idea Written in April 2012 Part Two: This Dark Earth Written in March 2009 Available on Amazon as paperback for fee and FOR FREE IN ITS ENTIRETY at Scribd.com