I sprinted like a cheetah to Malcolm's house, located at 8264 Chestnut Grove. I had never run so fast before in my life. I had run so fast that I could hear the wind rushing behind me. Not even Sonic could have kept up with me at that moment.
You're doing the right thing here, Clive. I promise.
Around ten minutes had passed when I finally arrived at his house. I was out of breath and felt like I was about to collapse and die of exhaustion. I swear to you, the only thing that kept me alive at that moment was my adrenaline and norepinephrine.
I knocked on the door like a madman and waited for around eight seconds until a terrified Malcolm ran out. He no doubt was not expecting me to arrive out of nowhere.
"Clive, what are you doing here?" he asked, confused.
"Listen, you don't want to end your life. I've been where you were before, and it sucks, but you don't want to end everything like this, trust me," I said, panting like crazy. I was so out of breath that I choked every time I tried to speak.
"What are you talking about? I don't want to kill myself," he lied. I knew right away he lied because he gazed down at the floor while saying it. I wasn't going to leave him to die, no matter how much he wanted it.
"You have a noose upstairs, I know it," I replied, looking him dead in the eyes. I wanted to see how he'd react to me, knowing what he was about to do.
"How did you...?" he asked as he turned pale as a sheet of paper.
"Don't ask; just be glad I'm here for you. Can I come upstairs?" I asked, finally catching my breath.
"Y-y-yes," he said, stuttering with the world's widest eyes. His eyes looked like he witnessed an alien abduction or something equally as crazy.
We went upstairs, and right away, I saw it tied to the ceiling. Despite not knowing much about ropes, I untied it swiftly and told him to throw it away so he wouldn't be tempted to try hanging himself again.
"You don't get it; my problems are too much for me to bear. I know you're trying to be understanding, but I've been struggling for months now," he said emotionally. I hugged him right after he said that and didn't let go for about five seconds.
"I'm sure I'll understand; what's on your mind?" I asked curiously.
"I'm gay."
YOU ARE READING
The October Amaryllis
Science FictionClive Andrews is a typical 16-year-old boy who never had anything out of the ordinary happen until May 16th, 2020, when he was struck by several feet of ball lightning and nearly killed. After being discharged from the hospital, he realizes that he...
