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Black holes into which energy flows

Where there is black, there must be white. Where there is dark, there must be light.

These are universal constants. Balance in all things, and all that.

Which, I guess, is why there are people out there who manage to suck the energy out of a room, exhaust us by simply being in the same space with us at any given moment and make us wonder how on earth we ever befriended them in the first place.

Often, they're beautiful, or charismatic, or compelling. Sometimes they're all three.

We find ourselves attracted by forces we may not consciously identify.

We, in spite of being cognizant of the strange chemistry at work, persist, we spend inordinate amounts of energy simply being friends,  find ourselves yearning for a tactful and kind way to simply discontinue the relationship in order to preserve our own energy stores, but somehow never manage to quite muster the stuff required to end it.

If we're fully energized prior to a meeting with one of these charming vampires, we usually manage to hold our own. But if it's the end of a long week and one of these vampiric friends sweeps in for a visit we agree, against our better judgment or simply due to a sense of obligation, to go to dinner. Or lunch, or out, but somewhere where we will be sucked dry of emotional energy. And before the evening or lunch or outing arrives, we find ourselves dreading the event.

We would like more than anything to politely cancel, claiming a migraine (which we don't get), or the flu (which we don't have), or exhaustion (which is actually closer to the truth, but is lame as dinner cancellation excuses go.)

But we don't bail. And we go. And the moment we arrive, our friend's energy aura begins to deplete our own, and in spite of all the pre-meeting pep talks to self to be tough and stay focused and keep breathing in spite of the energy drain,  we feel our stores diminishing.

We make it, but realize that at some point, given our dedication to self-awareness and such, at some point we are going to have to just...be unavailable the next time this person surfaces.

Because breaking up with one of these beings is simply ridiculous.

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