Stop It

He Watches

It's the same thing over and over again everyday. Routine is what keeps him going and fear is what keeps him from stopping it. 

He stays in the crowd, he tries to blend in. He does everything to not get noticed so that he won't be the next victim of their cruel laughter in the hallway. And his plan works, no one notices him or takes any interest, but not everyone is so lucky. 

He sees the cruelty aimed at the girl who's locker is next to him everyday. The poor girl, takes the taunting, day after day and blow after blow. 

The verbal assault she receives feels the same as getting kicked in the stomach. The words that she is called, always haunt her in the back of her mind.  

And after a while, she starts to believe them. No longer does she see a beautiful girl, because now all that's left of her is a frightened scarecrow. 

She's become a punching bag, and even though it isn't literal, there seems to be little difference. Broken bones can heal with a cast, but what about your mind? How can one fix their mind so that they won't be afraid of the next person who walks by them thinking that whoever they might be, will knock her out by calling her a whore. 

We have to ask ourselves, what's worse: a scar on your body, or a scar on your heart? 

When it first started she begged anyone and everyone for help, but now she realizes that they're all just as scared as her, perhaps even more. Fear is a powerful thing, and it does stuff to people. Our leaders become blind to the torment, and our peers either watch in curiosity or turn their heads away from the gruesome scenes.

What has this world succumbed to? Turning our backs on each other at the first sign that if they try to help, they'll get pulled down with them.

The bullying never stops. For three years of her high school life, she is pushed around, and she falls to the ground, hard. 

And by the time he finally gets the courage to put an end to her suffering, she's gone. Her family moved, to a different school, in a different city, and in a different state. How could they do that to a family? If you don't care about the person who's getting bullied themselves, at least think of what you're doing to their families, making them listen to their daughter's heart-wrenching cries at night and having to watch your sister get the life drained out of her. When you bully someone, it's not just that person you're hurting, it's everyone who loves your victim that gets hurt in the process.

She might have moved schools, the bullying might have stopped, but the memories will never fade. She doesn't have scars- scars are healed cuts- instead she has bone deep stab wounds that continue to bring her pain day after day. She will always have to wonder why she was targeted, what was wrong with her? Was she too fat, too ugly, not smart enough? 

Seven years later she might have an amazing husband, who loves her to the end of the earth, thinking she is the perfect size, beautiful, and wickedly smart, but those people who had put her down day after day after day have already damaged her self-image. By the time she met this wonderful person it was too late. She doesn't believe him when he tells her these loving things about her. 

And it all goes back to when she was in that high school, when that boy was going to stand up for her, but never did all because he was too late.

And when the girl first left, the boy tortured himself, asking himself over and over again, why didn't he stop it? 

It pains him at first, but then after a few weeks of asking himself why, he finally decides to put it behind him. He promises himself he won't ever let it happen again, he will stop it next time. 

But then, next time happens. 

He stands there in shock when he sees the boy across him getting shoved in the locker room. The bullies' next victim has been chosen. 

Anger courses through him and he starts to walk towards the tormentors, but in the middle of his path, he stops. The anger has passed, and all that's left is the fear. It's the same fear that he had when the other girl was being bullied.

The promise he made to himself is forgotten, and instead he walks back to his locker. 

High school passes by, and the boy who walked back to his locker, has now become a man, a father even, with a wife and a daughter. 

A loving wife, who always laughs at his corny jokes, and a daughter who loves rock out with him to old 90's songs. 

His daughter, a junior in high school, so full of life and ideas, he knows that she has a bright future ahead of her. 

But it's a Monday night when the teenager runs into the house sobbing. 

His wife and him try to calm her down and get her to tell them what's wrong, when she breaks down even more. 

She screams and runs up the stairs, still crying. Her parents run upstairs after her but by the time they get up there, the girl has slammed her door shut. 

His wife goes up to the door and knocks, only to her loud crying in response. The man hugs his wife and suggests to give her some space, and that they'll check up on her later. The woman nods, agreeing with him, and they both walk into their bedroom defeated.

Half an hour later, his wife has lost her patience and goes back to try to get her daughter to talk to her. 

Music blares out of her room loudly, even with the door shut.

"Sweetie, it's mom. Can you open the door for me?"

She hears nothing in response, not even a cry. 

"Honey please open the door."

Nothing again.

"Open the door Ann, please your starting to make me nervous," her voice begins to rise. She bangs on the door. "Ann, open up now!" 

She twists the doorknob, only to find that it's been unlocked this entire time. Twisting it fast, she shoves the door open and sees something no parent should ever have to see. 

Her daughter is lying on the bed, she looks like she's sleeping but the open bottle on the bed with her says otherwise. 

She screams for her husband and he comes flying into the room. At the sight of his daughter and his wife, he pales. His wife is screaming their daughter's name, trying to get her to wake up, but she won't come out of her slumber. 

The man runs to the bedroom that he shares with his wife and dials 911 on his phone. 

There's screaming coming from his wife, crying from himself, and silence from his daughter. 

The paramedics arrive, and when they find a pulse they rush her as fast as they can into the vehicle. The parents climb in as well. 

The couple holds each other tightly. 

His wife praying that their baby won't die.

The man is lost inside of his head, thoughts running everywhere, when he remembers his high school years. He remembers the girl who's locker was next to him, and the boy in the locker room. 

He asks the gods, if this is some kind of karma for not standing up for those two kids in school and gets no answer. 

He then asks himself why nobody stopped his daughter from getting hurt. Call him selfish, but all he wants is for his baby girl is to live. 

Why didn't they stop the bullying? Why didn't he stand up for those people? 

But most of all, why didn't anyone stop it?

Why?

All they had to do was stop it. 

Just stop it.