Bad Choices

With just one pinch, everything fades away. I sink deeply into a vast unexplainable dreamscape.

I stand in total white space, feeling a new sensation of freedom. The world is entirely empty as I stand in my ragged old clothes and beanie cap. Just then, loud chanting catches my attention:

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

It's a gathering of voices, almost like every voice I've ever heard is jumbled into one complete sound. I clench the sides of my head to cover my ears as it continues. I only lift my head when I notice a large shadow covers my frame.

A giant judge's gavel, larger than life, bangs down beside me. The impact lifts me up into the sky. I can feel my weightless self-hurling through white space until I hit the ground, sinking low into my chair in a courtroom.

Everyone in the courtroom wears the same face, but the place is crowded. And, every seat is taken by the judge, pointing his finger towards me with the same chant. Their eyebrows are furrowed, and their lips are straight as I sink smaller and smaller into the cushion of the chair.

I sit in my chair the size of an ant. The judge peeks over the table with his gavel to look at me. Then, with one last, "Guilty!" he swings the gavel straight onto me, sending the world around me to complete darkness.

Suddenly I shoot my eyes opened to find I'm jumping on a trampoline. I'm laughing in a beautiful yard and jumping up and down. Each time I jump, I have the biggest smile on my face. I fly higher and higher into the sky. It's all hysterical. With another jump, I realize I'm floating. I switch my arms to try and get myself back to the ground, but I just float there.

Gravity takes hold once more, which sends my body falling. I plummet through the trampoline and straight through the earth's crust. I'm panicked as I keep dropping lower and lower. I can feel chains around my wrists and ankles and notice my orange prison jumpsuit as I fall. I scream as if it will end the descent.

Slam!

I hit the floor and peel my face up off the ground to see flames. The flames are big and hot, hotter than I've ever been. I can hear my name. Someone is saying my name.

"Robby!" He screams.

There is someone here with me. I place my hand on the man's shoulder to see if he is the one who is calling my name. His skin has a red hue like the fire. I gasp as I recognize my best friend. Brad is down here burning with me as I stand in my shackles.

I want to ask him what he's doing here, but I can't find the words. Then, he gives me a smirk and calmly but profoundly says, "There, grab him!"

Arms come up out of the floor and lace around my ankles and wrists. I am shaking, hot and sweaty but can't free myself of the grip.

Brad starts walking closer to me. I want to ask him what's wrong with him. Why does he look so scary? But I can't speak.

My skin is burning, the pain is severe.

When Brad reaches me, he screams, "Why did you do this to yourself?" Then, on his last word, he opens his mouth so wide that he swallows me whole.

Now, I am running through a dark hallway as fast as I can. Arms are reaching towards me from each side as I sprint to the light waiting for me at the end. Their fingertips touch me as I move. Finally, I make it to the end to see a giant golden statue of my friend Jaron. But what is he holding?

In his hands is a package wrapped in brown paper. I'm surprised when I see the statue move. He breaks free from the golden shell to tell me, "You're going to be okay."

I'm confused. I am okay; I think I am okay.

He hands me the box with the words, "Come on…."

I don't wait for him to convince me further. Instead, I take the box from his hands and rip it open.

Light protrudes from its insides. It's so beautiful; the world is so bright. I take a breath so deep it hurts-

---

Earlier that Day:

Brad and Jaron are driving, concerned they haven't heard back from their close friend, Robby. So they decided to go check on him. Ever since the false verdict and prison time, he hasn't been himself. The friends bump along in the car as Jaron tries to call again.

"Ring!"

"Ring!"

"Ring!"

With a deep breath, he turns to Brad and says, "He's not picking up."

Brad presses his lips together and focuses on the road ahead. His fists clench tighter around the stirring wheel after learning they couldn't reach him again.

"He's not okay right now," Brad finally announces with nothing better to add.

They knew they needed to drop in on him because it had just been too long since either heard from him. So they silently drive, both too nervous about making light conversation. Something was wrong, a gut feeling neither of them could shake.

As they pull up to the usual residence, they notice flames in the window and smoke protruding out of the roof. Neighbors are gathered in the street screaming while some are on their cellphone. Everyone is pointing, some of them are crying, but the emergency response is nowhere to be seen.

Brad is first out of the car. Jaron is quick to follow. They watch as flames burst through the roof and into the sky.

Without hesitation, Brad sprints to the front door, Jaron close behind. He uses all of his force to kick down the front door. One kick, two kicks, three, and down it falls.

As soon as the door cascades, flames rush out towards them. Brad places his forearm in front of his face and ducks into the burning building.

"Robby!" he screams.

Brad enters the room where Robby is lying. He is quick to notice and dismiss the used syringe on the floor. Robby is lying halfcocked off his bed next to the needle. Then, Jaron enters the room behind him.

Brad screams, "There, grab him."

The two men loop their hands around his ankles and wrists to carry him to safety.

They escape the building and enter the yard where neighbors wait. They lay him in the grass. Has anyone called 911? Jaron makes sure help is on the way.

Brad leans down to his friend and asks, "Why did you do this to yourself?"

You can hear the pain in his voice as he gathers his composure over what just happened.

An ambiance races up to the scene. A few paramedics rush to their side. They swiftly roll Robby's body over to strap him to a stretcher. Brad and Jaron step back as the professionals' press on Robby's stomach and insert tubs into his mouth.

Brad shakes his head and looks away with his hand rubbing his chin in discomfort. When a paramedic asks if he is okay, he is barely able to listen. His emotions are in an uproar.

Jaron joins Robby's side as the people start loading him into the ambulance.

He clears his throat to say, "You're going to be okay." Just as the ambulance doors close.

The friends follow the ambulance to the hospital. They witness the alarmed responders as they roll Robby's body into the emergency room. They hastily follow behind them as they pump and pull, trying to bring him back to consciousness. As the doors of the operating rooms swing, Brad and Jaron see less and less of what's happening.

Brad paces outside of a closed door with Jaron resting his head in his hands on a chair nearby. Everything seems to be going so fast, too fast for either of them to process. Then, finally, a doctor leaves the room to look towards Brad.

He asks, "Does the kid have any family?"

"No," Brad answers, "It’s- just us."

He presses his lips tight, "Well, he's stable, but we don't know if he's going to wake up."

Jaron asks, "Can we see him?"

The doctor nods and exists down the hallway.

You are never prepared to see someone you love in a state like this. Robby is laid out on the bed connected to a machine. The machines are doing their job to keep him alive. They both know that, but neither say anything about the uncomfortable sight. So, they just approach the side of his bed to sit in silence.

"Come on…." Jaron says the vague statement to imply that he is ready for an emotional break.

Just then, Robby shoots his eyes opened and takes a deep breath. He is trying to focus. Where is he? Who is with him? Why?

"Where am I," he asks as he taps his bedside to familiarize himself with his new surroundings.

Jaron jumps up to call for a nurse as Brad leans in closer to Robby to say, "You are in the hospital," he pauses, "You messed up…."

Jaron joins them, "Don't tell him that, not now…."

"I messed up?" He questions.

Brad shakes his head as Jaron shoots Brad an expression to urge him to stop.

"If you're having a hard time, you need to come to us." Brad answers.

"I- I just," Robby answers as the realization begins to hit. "What happened?"

Jaron lets out a deep breath, "You don't need to worry about it right now."

"What happened?" Robby demands as he realizes neither he nor his friends are in good shape. He is covered in burn marks, and Brad has soot over his face and clothes.

"You shot up," Brad admits, "And when we found you, your place was on fire. A second later, you would have been gone too." There is a sense of pain in his voice as Brad speaks openly.

There is a long pause as Robby processes what happened.

"I'm sorry…." Robby answers through guilt.

Jaron shakes his head, "Don't- what happened to you is- It's not right, but you need to know you can come to us if you're having a hard time. You are not alone."

Robby nods to his friends.

"We are here for you," Brad agrees, "You are not just our friend; you are family."