Domino's

Game over

My dad continued to abuse me. Everyday I had new bruises. I was able to fall asleep last night, that was rare. But my sleep got disturbed by a phone call from Amaya. Her voice was trembling and barely audible. She told me that our brother, Alex, had been in a car accident and had passed away. I felt like the world had stopped. I couldn't move or speak. Everything felt surreal, like I was living in a nightmare. Alex was my best friend, my confidante, and my partner in crime. He was only 22 years old, with his whole life ahead of him.

The days that followed were a blur of tears, sadness, and disbelief. Amaya and me spent hours making arrangements for the funeral and trying to come to terms with what had happened. It felt like there was a hole in my heart that would never be filled. But as the days turned into weeks, I started to realize that Alex would have wanted us to keep living our lives, to find joy and happiness even in the midst of grief. So I tried to do just that. I went back to work, I spent time with my friends, and I tried to enjoy the small moments of beauty that life had to offer. But every now and then, the grief would hit me like a wave. I would see something that reminded me of Alex, or I would hear a song that we used to listen to together, and I would feel like I was drowning in sadness all over again.

One day, I was walking in the park when I saw a little girl playing on the swings. She reminded me of Alex when he was young, carefree and innocent. I felt a surge of emotion, and tears streamed down my face. But then, something happened. The little girl came up to me and asked me why I was crying. I told her about my brother, and she listened with wide eyes and a compassionate heart. Then, she gave me a hug and told me that everything would be okay.

In that moment, I realized that life was full of unexpected moments of kindness and connection, even in the midst of grief and tragedy. Alex may have left this world too soon, but he had left a lasting legacy of love and compassion that would always be with me. And I would do my best to honor his memory by living my life with kindness, grace, and compassion for others. But now, I had no one left. My pregnancy symptoms got stronger each day, my dad abused me daily and I didn't feel any joy in my life. I needed someone to support me during my pregnancy, so I downloaded a dating app, even tho I was only 13. But a few hours later I already got a call from someone, being interested in a relationship. His name was Josh and he was 23. He had his own house and offered me, to move in with him. I would run away from home tonight. But what about Ash?

I thought about it for a long time. Then, I called Josh to tell him, that I wanted Ashley to move in with us. I told Ash everything and she thought it was a great idea. We packed our stuff and saw a very fancy car stopping in front of us. It was Josh, who picked us up and we drove hours to a place near a lake. I really liked the place. But soon I found out, that Josh was a complete creep. He would ask us for favours like undressing us and dancing or masturbating in front of him. One day, he invited his friends to his house. His friends would pay him for an hour, where they could do everything with me or Ashley. But Josh gave us everything we needed, and he was very big and strong, so we were scared of confronting him. Soon, I had enough. I had enough of suffering, and I also didn't want to give birth to a child who would live his worst life. So, I decided to suicide. I wanted to overdose myself with pills and every medicine I found. I swallowed one pill after another. I started feeling very light and I felt, how my soul was slowly passing away.

Vivienne was shocked when she received the news that her friend, Amaya, had committed suicide by overdosing on prescription pills. Sophia had always been a bright and cheerful person, with a contagious smile and a zest for life. She cried for days and nights and couldn't sleep for days. In the days that followed, Vivi felt numb and disoriented. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had failed Amaya somehow, that she had missed the signs of her friend's distress. She spent hours crying and trying to make sense of what had happened. Vivi decided to honor Amaya's memory by spreading awareness about mental health issues and advocating for more resources and support for people struggling with depression and anxiety. She organized a fundraiser for a local mental health organization and started a social media campaign to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Vivienne knew that she could never bring Amaya back, but she hoped that by raising awareness and working to create a more compassionate and supportive society, she could help prevent other people from experiencing the same pain and despair that Amaya had felt. And in that way, she felt like Amaya's memory would live on, in the kindness and compassion of those who had known and loved her.

Ashley sat in her bedroom, staring at the blank walls, trying to come to terms with the fact that her sister Amaya was gone. Amaya had taken her own life, and Ashley felt like she was drowning in a sea of grief and guilt.

Ashley and Amaya had always been close, despite their differences. Amaya was outgoing, adventurous, and always ready for a new challenge. Ashley, on the other hand, was introverted, bookish, and content to spend her days lost in thought, but even though they were different, Ashley and Amaya had always had each other's backs. So when Ashley found out that Amaya had taken her own life, she felt like her world had shattered into a million pieces. She couldn't understand how someone so full of life and energy could be so consumed by darkness and despair.

Ashley spent weeks in a fog of grief, barely eating or sleeping. She couldn't bring herself to go back to school or see her friends. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Amaya's face, smiling and laughing, and then she saw her lying on the floor, lifeless.

But slowly, Ashley began to realize that she couldn't let Amaya's death be the end of her story. She knew that Amaya had struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time, and that she had felt like she had nowhere to turn for help.

Ashley decided that she would do everything in her power to make sure that other people didn't have to feel the same sense of hopelessness and despair that Amaya had felt. She started volunteering at a suicide prevention hotline, talking to people who were struggling with mental health issues and offering them a listening ear. Through her work at the hotline, Ashley discovered that she had a gift for connecting with people and helping them feel heard and understood. She realized that by sharing her own story of loss and grief, she could help others who were struggling to feel less alone. And even though the pain of losing Amaya never completely went away, Ashley knew that she was honoring her sister's memory by fighting for a world where mental health was taken seriously, where people knew that they were never truly alone, and where hope and healing were always possible.

A few weeks passed by and Ashley still lived at Josh's house. She fell into severe depression, and when she realised, that she had no one left, she decided to visit her siblings in heaven. She wanted to jump from a huge cliff, but before she did, she grabbed her phone to call the 911:
Hello. I'm Ashley Edwards. I wanted to inform you about the trauma I've been going through. My sister, Amaya Edwards, had suicided because she got abused by our father, James Edwards. We decided to run away to a man named Josh Smith. He sold us to his friends for hours, who would verbally and sexually abuse us.

I'm so sorry that happened to you, could you please tell me where you are right now?
The woman on the phone said.

My father lives at the Hazelbank road 24 in Coleraine, Josh lives at the Altnaveigh road 78 in Newry. Have a nice day, goodbye.
Ash said.
Before the woman could say something else, Ashley hung up and jumped. She saw the beautiful sky and she felt the wind rush past her.
This is the end of the story.
Do you think the Domino's chain will continue?