how much did they have you bleed; how long did they make you suffer; how low did they force you down; how dark did they tint your dreams?
—until you had their blood glistening on your teeth; —until your suffering paled in comparison to their own; —until it was their throats pinned under your boot; —until you learned to enjoy the sounds of screams.
to defeat monsters: become the greater monster - m.a.w