Breaking Point

Is everything alright? He skimmed the message on his dimly-lit phone screen. He sat up in bed. It was two in the morning. The darkness closed in, the only light being from his phone.

His response was simple, but took forever to type. He was tired, ready to give up on everything. No. He sent it and waited silently for a response.

He had plagued with terrible thoughts when he was alone. Why? Was he really so bad nobody wanted to talk to him? He was ripped away from the thoughts inching their way into his head by the sound of the phone in his hand. What’s wrong?

I’m so tired. I feels like my entire existence is turning against me. I wish I could be strong like you, able to deal with so much crap and keep smiling. He looked outside his room for other people. No one else was around his room, maybe in his house. He couldn't be bothered to step out to check.

The response he got was immediate. The person on the other end was waiting for him. Hey. No. Do not think like that. You’re stronger than you think. The fact that you can smile at all is a sign that you’re strong. You’ll be okay. They sent multiple messages to keep his attention.

Tears fell down his face. He wiped his tears and sent a final response. I’m glad you believe in me that much… I’m sorry. He left his phone on the bed, thinking he’d never pick it up again. It blew up with messages. Everything was in place. Just another few moments and it would be over: his suffering, his madness. It would be okay again.

He unlatched the window, hauling it open. He grabbed hold of the screen and pulled it out. Within moments, he was preparing to climb into the windowsill to jump from the second-story window.

The person on the other end of the phone burst through his door and stopped him from going through with his plan. They pulled him out of his room, away from the danger he put himself in. “Don’t you dare apologize!” They hugged him close to their chest. He turned to them, sobbing. He didn’t care who this person was. All he needed was to be hugged and told he’ll be okay. He needed to be convinced that everything would be okay. He just had to wait a little longer.

At least, that's what he thought would happen. The other person was too far away. They lived on the other side of the world as far as he knew. They could only keep blowing up his phone in desperate yet futile attempts to get his attention. But his mind was set. He was going to put it to an end. He sat in the windowsill with sudden overwhelming tranquility. No one was there to stop him. No one was there to watch him fall. He looked out at the forest behind his house, then down to the ground.

He fell to hysterics after a moment, finally letting all the pain he had bottled up and hidden from everyone else spill out. After a short time, he shifted his weight forward. He felt his weight slowly move off the windowsill. A slight smile, the first genuine one he had in months, grew on his face as he let his weight go. He fell to the ground, crushing his ribcage and dying within minutes.

No one found the body for weeks. Everyone that lived with him didn't even notice that he was missing. His family didn't care when the news was broken to them. The only person that cared was his friend, helpless on the other side of the world.