She’s had enough.

The pain and walls inside her collapse. Down to her knees she falls. Crumpled in a ball on the floor her best friend finds her. He kneels to her.

She only came out in this hallway to breath a little. She knew she was headed for a mental breakdown, so often did she have them, she could feel the onset. She only came out here to breath. No one followed.

She saw flashing images, memories, decorating the back hallway of her school, behind the theater. It curved around, both ends opening into the lobby. There were small doors on the side after you came down the steps at the very edge and farthest corner of the stage. She merely walked up the stairs to the hallway. Just to calm down a little.

Rehearsal was underway and she had 2 or 3 scenes til she was on in scene 5. Plenty of time to breath.

It turned into crushing flashbacks and restricted air. It turned into the worst breakdown of her life. No one but he could save her now. No one knew if he would come.

Her best friend found her after leaving her there for only 4 minutes. He knew she was bad. He had never seen her so broken.

As he tried to touch her to let her know he was there, she violently jerked away from him. It felt like his skin on hers burned. He knelt again and just sat next to her. “What can I do to help?” “Get him,” a weak whisper escaped her mouth. He barely heard her but understood and was already gone.

He was sitting in the chairs, watching the rehearsal, intrigued by his friend he was chatting with next to him. When he saw her leave, he thought everything of it but refused to go. No one knew why.

Now as he saw the best friend walk in he knew nothing of the next few minutes when his life and love would be tested. Could be lost.

The best friend walked over, refusing to let the tears fall. He asked him to follow. Unknowingly, he obliged.

The best friend only led him to the top of the stairs. She was sitting merely 6 feet away.

She spoke no words. She screamed with her mind. Rescue me.




Happy Ending

He walked over to her, the longest steps he had ever taken. He knelt to her, and gently touched her arm. It crumbled her last resistence. She fell into his arms as he grabbed her and held her close, ruining the new shirt with her new tears. Tears she had never before been able to cry. A few people had followed them out and merely looked on with wonder, wandering what would come next. He held her close and whispered in her ear,” Im sorry.” She only hyperventilated harder. He held her closer. He would never again let go.

No one knew how strong he could become for her. And no one knew how strong she became in his arms.




Sad ending

He stared at her, the broken and wretched thing she was. He looked behind him as the best friend urged him to hold her. He looked to the doors that led to the outside world. A small group of people had gathered behind him, all wondering what he would do. No one expected his next move.

He said out loud. Calm and placid. “ Im sorry.” No regret. Not yet.

It crumbled her last fight. The tears stopped. The breath returned. She was like a ghost. No feeling in her eyes, no determination left. No fight.

She stood and headed for the door, the strength in her stride only for awhile. Soon she would fall again. And she headed for the door.

Her best friend stared in disbelief as he walked back into the auditorium and sat down, restarting the bull conversation with his friend. Disbelief and rage coursed through him. He ran after her and stood in front of the the door right before her hand would have found the handle to push it open. “Where are you going?” He pleaded. Her flat voice responded.” I don’t know.” There was no question of the rehearsal. “Are you coming back?” She stared at him, no feeling left in her. “When there’s nothing left to hold, let the angels take the soul.” His eyes opened wide and his jaw hit the floor. There was no stopping her.

She walked to the other door and opened it. The cold December wind hit her face and her hair which had only a minute ago hid her face from the world, now whipped back and revealed her. But there was nothing left to see. She stood, seemingly gathering energy enough to walk away and say goodbye. But goodbye never left her lips. She merely walked out the door. Her best friend flew the steps back to the auditorium. Standing in front of him, calm as anything he asked, “ Do you want her to die?” Regret, tears, and fear finally lighted his eyes. But he held it back. “She wont die. She’ll be fine.” He blankly repeated her last words. “When theres nothing left to hold, Let the angels take the soul.” Shock overtook them both as the meaning of those words sank in. They both ran back to the closed door and shoved it open. She was at the edge of the sidewalk. He ran over to her and grabbed her from behind. But there was nothing left to hold.