The Boy on the Sand

A little boy sat on the sand.

Little shells filled his hands.

You could see the precipitation grow in his eyes.

His smile had fully faded, once his greatest disguise.

Almost like his soul had escaped him.

His self-esteem and confidence had run thin.

All he could feel was dread.

So many suffocating thoughts filled his head.

The shells always used to be there to listen, but not this time.

You could hear nothing, not even the littlest of chimes.

Just nothing, only the wind that slowly went through his hair.

He only ever wanted to make others smile.

However, no one had checked on him in quite a while.

How could he possibly be sad?

Look at all that he has. If anything he should be glad.

That is why the calls or messages never came.

The reason why the phone never rang.

Perfect lives do not exist.

Only the idea of it brings complete bliss.

We all have our battles and issues.

But… not everyone has that one someone to hand them a tissue.

Alone.

A word that causes a chill to seep into your bones.

He just needed one.

Once again, never did it come.

Only more lies..

Followed by a sleepless night asking nothing but… why?

His family, who made him feel like a stranger.

All he had accomplished, just to be battered with their anger.

All those dreams and passions,

To only be clouded by many distractions.

Descending towards the dark of the night.

No longer having the care to even write.

The one way he could be expressed.

Silence loomed over the beach that night, not even the slightest of movements… not even in the boy’s chest.

The morning had come and the air was crisp.

Warm breakfast bagels were fragrance in the air,

with the most aromatic smell of swiss that was oh so swift.

Nothing felt the same.

There was no pain.

The beach was now vacant.

Scenes so beautiful, you would think it was some sort of haven.

Slight indentions in the sand, that were no longer occupied.

There were no signs of life, on either side…

Those questions would never be answered.

Rumor is that he ran off to become a dancer.

Others say that he is now one with the ocean.

Which caused a variety of emotions.

The mystery loomed for years.

To many, it caused a certain fear.

Until the day, the bottle came.

Then it all began to change.

A final message.

To be read by the one who had found it and now possesses it.

The note read…

"anima liberata".

I hope you all enjoyed this short little thriller.

My last journal entry touched on this topic of emotions and how lonely they can feel. I just began to write and this is what my next entry ended up turning into.

A little different from what I usually write, but something that just came to mind and something that I thought was important to discuss.

The message that I wanted to express, is to always check on those closest to you.

Even if they have the brightest smile and personality, because we all have our own battles and some show more then others.

Be that light in someone’s life, and help those around you that feel trapped in the darkness.

I have struggled with severe anxiety disorder and severe depressive disorder for the past 17 years, and so many times I felt that feeling of hopelessness and not feeling as if I had any power. Now that I have been given possibly only months to live, my life has felt very quiet. My whole life all I have ever wanted to do, was make someone smile. Make someone feel like everything is going to be okay, because to me that is the perfect day.

You do have power. It took me this long to figure that out. I am currently now in therapy to cope with my possible end of life situation, and I was graced with the most amazing therapist. It is not easy, it is very emotional and very mentally taxing. However, there is a feeling of hope and joy that comes after every visit. While it may not change my current issues or circumstances, it is teaching me the skills and coping abilities to tackle these feelings that I am having before they take over. Good and bad days will always be a part of all our lives, I just advocate for you to reach out and ask for help. You would be overwhelmed by how many people are out there that want to help you, so start today. Even if the progress feels small or the step that you are about to take feels impossible, it is one more step than yesterday, and try to take two tomorrow. You got this! I believe in you, and I promise that there is that light in the distance, and you will get there.

I would love to hear some feedback and thoughts on this short story. Please feel free to subscribe and like my profile, and maybe even go check out my other stories. Will be creating more mental awareness related content soon, and would love for you to be along for the ride. You got this.

Thank you all so much,

Zakari :)