Mara

“Man should not be able to see his own face. Nothing is more terrible than that. Nature gave him the gift of being unable either to see his face or to look into his own eyes. He could only see his own face in the waters of rivers and lakes. Even the posture he had to adopt to do so was symbolic. He had to bend down, to lower himself, in order to commit the ignominy of seeing his own face. The creator of the mirror poisoned the human soul.”
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet: The Complete Edition

“I’m beginning to know myself.
 I don’t exist. I’m the space between what 
I’d like to be and what others
 made of me. Just let me be at ease and
 all by myself in my room.”
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet

“Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula

“The cage is open. You can walk out anytime you want. Why are you still in there?”
― Heather Havrilesky, Ask Polly's Guide to Your Next Crisis