Broken (2005)

Broken

(Written in 2005)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The dark clouds covered the bright morning sun as Emily looked out her bedroom window. Feeling her depression coming back, she walked over to her desk and picked up a sterling silver picture frame.

"Why did you have to leave me?" She asked, looking into the eyes of the man in the picture.

River, her best guy friend, killed himself after his parents' divorce was final and she hadn't gotten over it after a year had past.

Emily tried to hang out with friends, wrote in her diary and cried so many nights, but she would never forget the way she felt about him.

"Why didn't I tell you how I felt?" She questioned while tears filled up her eyes.

She lied down on her full-sized, canopy bed and held the picture against her chest as she cried.

When Emily was about to fall asleep, the phone started to ring.

"I don't want to answer that. It might be Madison wanting to go out." She mumbled to herself as she whipped the tears from her eyes.

She looked at the picture once again and placed it back on her desk.

Around one o'clock, Emily got off her bed and walked to the bathroom to splash cool water on her face, but when she turned on the faucet, the electric went out.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, fumbling around to get out of the bathroom.

As she looked for candles, there was a knock on the door.

"Hey." Madison greeted with a smile.

"Hey, come on in." Emily said, smiling back.

"I just tried to call you. I figured your electric was out, so I figured I would come over and see you." Madison explained, sitting on the couch.

"Yea, I heard the phone ring, but I didn't answer it." She replied, lighting some candles.

"What's wrong?" Madison asked, taking off her shoes.

"Oh, thinking." She said with a sad look of her face.

"River?" Madison questioned, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"Yea." She replied, sitting down beside her.

"When are you going to get over that? It's been a year." Madison asked, trying not to sound like a bitch.

"Well, everyone knows how I felt about him. I just can't let him go." She explained with a sigh.

"Yea, I know, but you need to get back out there." Madison suggested, with a slight smile.

"I don't know if I can." She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"I know someone who likes you, but I told them about the whole River thing." Madison stated, walking to the kitchen to get a drink.

"Oh, what did he say after that?" She questioned, following Madison to the kitchen.

"He respects that you still have feelings for someone." Madison said with a smile.

"That sounds nice." She replied, smiling back.

"You should come with me and Seven to a party tonight." Madison suggested, pouring herself some Root Beer.

"I don't know. I don't feel good." She sighed, leaning against the sink.

"You'll probably feel better." Madison said, putting her hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll go." She agreed with a slight smile.

Before they headed out the door, Madison saw the cuts on Emily's arm.

"You started doing that, again?" Madison asked, grabbing Emily's arm.

"Yea. I know I shouldn't, but the hurt is so intense." She replied, pulling her arm away.

When they arrived at the party, Emily sat down on the cough by herself.

"You want a hit?" Sever questioned, handing her a joint.

"If you give me that, you better roll another one because I'll smoke that little thing in about five minutes." She said, looking up at him.

"Well, you can have it." He replied with a smile.

After her joint and two lines, Emily got up and started dancing by herself.

"I see that you feel better." Madison said, walking over to Emily.

"Yea, a little bit. I'm stoned off my ass." She giggled, still dancing.

"Well, do you want to meet Criss?" Madison asked with a smile.

"Who's Criss?" She questioned, stopping her dancing.

"They guy that likes you." Madison replied, still smiling.

"Sure." She said with a smile.

A young man came up to her. He had short, blond hair, baby blue eyes, an athletic body and wearing a black, button up shirt with blue jeans and boots.

"Hello, I'm Criss." He introduced himself.

"Hello." She replied with a smile.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, smiling back.

"Sure." She agreed ad took him by the hand as a slow song began to play.

"I'm sorry to hear about River." Criss said, looking into Emily's beautiful, green eyes.

"Yes, he and I were really close." She informed, looking down at her feet.

"So I heard." He replied, pulling her closer to his body.

"So, tell me about yourself." Criss said, sitting down on the couch with Emily.

"Can we go somewhere else to talk?" She questioned, looking into his eyes.

"Whatever makes you feel comfortable." He replied with a smile.

They went outside and sat on the porch steps to talk.

"So, tell me." He repeated, leaning his arms on his legs.

"Well, I had no father all through my teen years, I feel out of place at most times, I wake up screaming every now and then, I've been abused all my life, kicked out of the house when I was seventeen, I cut myself, I lie, I drink, I do drugs, I don't like myself anymore after River died, I get sick of people treating me like a little kid…that's about it." She listed, starting to cry.

"You've had it rough." He replied, putting his arm around her.

"Oh, and I forgot, I can't keep a boyfriend." She added, setting her head on his chest.

After Emily wiped the tears from her face, she and Criss went inside to party some more, but it wasn't too long for Emily to get bored and asked Criss to take her home.

"Sure, I'll take you home." He replied with a smile.

"I'm tired though, I might fall asleep in the car." She informed with a tired look on her face.

"That's fine." He said, still smiling.

When Emily woke up, the car was in front of a mental institution.

"Why are we here?" She asked with a confused look on her face.

"Emily, you need help. I've been here and I'm doing great now." He replied, taking her by the hand.

"You really want me to be here?" She questioned, looking into his eyes.

"Yes, it's for the best." He said with a smile.

"Okay." She agreed and opened her car door.

A year later, Madison picked Emily up from the institution with some bad news.

"Emily, Criss was in a car accident." Madison informed, putting her hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Is her all right?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"No, Emily, he's dead." Madison replied, waiting for Emily to breakdown.

Indeed she did…she started crying and blaming herself.

"Hey, it's not your fault. A drunk driver hit him." Madison soothed and took Emily into her arms.

"Just take me home." She snapped and got into the car.

When they arrived at Emily's new apartment, they both went inside.

"I know it's smaller than your other one, but it's really cheap." Madison informed, looking around the apartment.

"It's fine, but I think I'm going to go to bed." She said with a slight smile.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Madison agreed and left to go home.

Emily walked into her new bathroom and ran a bath so she could relax.

She got in and lied in the warm water for a while.

"No one is going to leave me, again." She said, picking up a razor blade.

As the water turned crimson, Emily took her own life.

Before she took her very last breath, she knew her pain would soon be washed away.