The Dead Mans Games

The Note

School was let out early today. I get on my skateboard and head home. I feel a bit lonely today, my older brother is out of town for a "Five Finger Death Punch" concert and my younger brother was feeling "sick" or just using sickness as an excuse to hide. He hates school.

People treat him horribly and So I sit up with him every night trying my best to comfort him but the tears never stop. The hurt never leaves him... Yet he manages to always be such an upbeat kid.

I stick to my friend group and never go outside of that. We're not the best kids but they're the only kids I would want to be around. Other People only turn out to stab me in the back or disappoint me. "Why bother, right? I don't need others" I thought to myself.

In about ten minutes I find myself walking through my front door. I walk into my kitchen to see a folded piece of paper on the marble countertop. It has a salt shaker holding it down. I sit and look at it for a second in wonder as to what it says but ignore my urge to read it.

I move through my house and toss my bag towards my dinning room table. I walk out of my dinning room into my living room and then up the stairs. I turn into me and David's room. "Hey bud, how you feelin?" I say. I hear no response. I walk over to his bed and check to see if he's sleeping. He's not in the bed.

"David?!" I shout "David! Where are you man?!" Silence. "Where are you?" I run down the stairs and look everywhere for him. After looking for him fails I try and call him. "Pick up. Pick up damn it." Nothing. I go into the kitchen and grab the note.

It reads; "I'm sorry... I love all of my family and friends, but I can't take this anymore. Goodbye."

I stand looking at the short but powerful not in awe for a second. I swallow hard and run out my door. I cut through my neighbors yard and then through a complete strangers yard to get to the creek down the road. I stand on a bridge just over the creek. I scream his name, praying he responds but there is nothing. All I hear is the water running down the small stream. I crawl my way down the bridge and work my way to the other side. The side with all the trees.

The creek is devised into two sides, the side closest to houses is a rocky, and then the other side is covered in trees. The side with the trees is where we always hung out, and it's where I had stopped him before... Hopefully I can stop him this time too.

I shout his name again and yet again, no response. I keep going farther and farther down the creek. When I get close to the end I hear faint sobbing.

"I'm sorry Nick." I hear a soft sad voice say. I look around for him but he's not anywhere to be seen. "Goodbye." I hear the sound of a rope tighten as if pressure was applied.