Life...
Something we all live no matter how short it may be.
Ashlin never thought it would end this way. She never thought she would be pushed so far that she would like nothing more than to give up her life, but here she was sitting in her mom's bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize herself, but of course she hadn't for years... not since the bullying had started. Ashlin blew out a ragged breath looking down at her hands. In one hand she held a bottle of sleeping pills, in the other was a letter that would tell her parents the reason she had brought her own life to a sudden stop. She had thought about nothing but this for weeks. After all taking your own life wasn't something you took lightly, but she didn't see any other way out of this misery.
The bullying had started about three years ago when her parents had gotten a divorce. For some reason no one wanted to be friends with her. She had always thought it was because her family was broken or maybe it was the fact that she was broken herself. ' The person who seemed to drowned in her own imperfections.' she thought. People at her school would laugh at her, some would stare and pity her from a far. As if she needed their pity. She didn't. She pitied herself enough. She blew out another ragged breath wiping away the tears that had started to fall down her face. She had to stay strong. She had to do this.
Placing the letter next to her mother's sink she poured herself a glass of water knowing that if she didn't do it now she would never get the courage to do it again. Maybe that should have told Ashlin something, but she didn't care she couldn't take it any longer. She had to do it. ' Yes keep telling yourself that.' She thought. 'Just a little bit longer.'
With more courage than she thought was possible she dropped the pills into her mouth one at a time, bringing the glass to her lips. The glass shook in her hands water spilling down her shirt but again she didn't care.
She swallowed the pills as quick as she could, them feeling like rocks as they scratched their way down her throat. After that she sunk to the floor resting her head against the bathroom cabinets. ' Just a little bit longer.' she thought again. 'The nightmare's almost over'. Ashlin's mind seemed to go blank the longer she sat there. Her legs felt numb. Her fingers shaking, as more tears dripped down her face. She could feel herself sinking into oblivion, her eyes drifting shut. For the first time in Ashlin's life she wasn't scared about what would happen next...she knew...
. . . .
Ashlin's mom let out an aggravated huff later that night, tossing her purse down on the kitchen counter. Another day at work had made her nothing but agitated and tired. "Another day down the drain." She thought annoyed. Paying the bills had become harder and harder lately causing Ashlin's mom to take on yet another part time job. She didn't know how much more she could take before she drove herself crazy and the fact that her 18 year old daughter was fighting depression and had been prescribed medicine that cleaned out half of her bank account every month didn't help.
Pulling open the refrigerator door she pulled out a water, then let the door fall shut, it making a loud banging noise in the quiet house. It confused and worried her.
"Ashlin." She called setting her water down on the kitchen table. No answer.
An uncomfortable feeling filled the pit of her stomach.
"Ashlin!" She called again moving through the house towards the stairs. Again no answer.
She could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest so hard it hurt. She rushed up the stairs, pausing at her daughter's door. On the front of the door was a sticky note that she could barely see in the hallway lit by only the moon streaming in through the window at the end of the hall. Flipping on the light next to her she glanced at the note again, shocked that it only said two simple words.
I'm Sorry...
Those two words were all it took for Ashlin's mom to barge through Ashlin's door. The room was dark inside with no sign of life. Ashlin's bed was undisturbed. The contents of her book bag was strewn across the room, her computer on her desk untouched.
"Ashlin!" She yelled it this time running down the stairs to grab her phone. Her hand shook as she called the only person she could think of to call.
"Sarah?" Her Ex-Husband answered on the first ring, his voice muffled from sleep.
"Ashlin's missing!" She cried running back up the stairs towards her bedroom. "She not in her room and there's a sticky note on her door... I just don't know what to do. What if something happened to her?"
"Whoa! Calm down what's going on?"
"Ashlin's missing..."
When Ashlin's mom reached her room she turned on her bedroom light glancing around for her daughter. Still no sign of her. Everything looked the same as she had left it except for the fact the her bathroom door was ajar, light filtering through the cracks making shadows on the carpet.
"What do you mean Ashlin's missing?" Her ex asked confused, as she pushed her bathroom door open. She scanned the bathroom quickly.
Her phone clattered to the floor at the sight of Ashlin laying on the floor, her skin almost as pale as the bathroom walls.
"Ashlin!" She screamed in shock.
Ashlin's mom dropped to her knees beside her. Her entire body was shaking with fear.
"Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!" She could hear her ex yelling her name over the phone, but she ignored it grabbing the phone, she hung; up, placing her ear to Ashlin's chest. When she heard the faint sound of her daughters heartbeat she let out a breath, punching 911 into her phone.
"Hello? This is the police. What is your emergency?" Came a calm voice.
"Hello!" Ashlin's mom rasped out.
"Ma'am what is your emergency?"
"I need your help I think my daughter tried to kill herself..."
