Septiplier One-Shots

Savior

This is a request from BoneheadedSkeleton ! Thanks, Carrie! :)

*Jack's POV*

Ah... Ireland. I've lived here my whole life. It's beautiful... Sure it never stops raining, but rain has never really bothered me. I find it soothing.

Today, though... Today is special. It's actually sunny outside, and that means I can go to my favorite place.

A few months ago, I happened to be walking with a few friends after school. We were goofing off, joking around... Normal teenage stuff. Then we passed The Cliff.

The Cliff is very dangerous. One misstep can end you. Our parents always told us to keep away from it, but on a dare, I ventured towards the ledge. My friends were all chicken and wouldn't come anywhere near it or me, but I loved every second. The sun was setting, and in that moment, I knew I'd always come back to watch it from The Cliff whenever I had the chance.

"I'm gone, Mom!" I called out as I opened the front door.

"Alright... Be careful! Keep away from strangers!"

I responded with a quick 'okay' just to ease my mother's nerves.

If only she knew where I was going.

*Mark's POV*

Sigh... Ireland. I wanted to move here as a child. I wanted to pick up the accent of the countrymen and make leprechaun jokes about myself. I wanted to be able to go out to a pub with friends at 16 years old. I wanted the life of an Irishman. In fact, I was drawn to it.

That was before everything went to hell.

I remember the day clearly. I'd gotten off the bus, briskly walking home, as my mother had a terrible tendency to worry excessively if I were a second late. Normally she'd be in the kitchen cleaning so that the bus stop was in her view.

Not that day.

I didn't see her in the window, so I walked slower, thinking she was probably taking a nap as she sometimes did. Or perhaps she was focused on tidying up another room.

The last thing I expected was to find her on the kitchen floor, wrists slit and coughing up the same scarlet liquid.

I was panicking so much that I don't remember much aside from dialing 911 and hearing the ambulance arrive.

And of course, I'll always remember my feet glued to the hospital floor as the flatline sounded...

My dad moved the two of us to Ireland. He knew I'd loved the idea as a child, and he knew my mother's passing wouldn't make for the best circumstances back home.

But as hard as my dad tried, I kept sinking further and further into my depression. It overwhelmed both of us. With him preoccupied with work, I picked up some... Questionable habits.

The cuts made it all that much worse, though. They got deeper and deeper and deeper...

And then I saw The Cliff. I was on a walk to clear my head, which was failing miserably. I was drawn to the edge by the possibility of falling from it. I sat on the edge and tried to make a decision that would've been simple to almost anyone else: Life or death?

*Jack's POV*

I walked my usual route; through the neighborhood a ways, and then a secluded path through the forest nearby, finally looping to a place around a block from The Cliff.

I meandered through the forest path. Though it was well-used by many children of the small town, it was unkempt. I finally made my way out, turning the corner to my happy place.

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of an unfamiliar boy sitting on the very edge. He looked to be around my age. I spoke up, my tone soft so not to startle him.

"Hey... Um... Who're you?"

The boy turned, and I saw a glint in his eyes. It wasn't happiness or light, though... It was a darkness radiating through his very soul; an angst greater than most know of.

"My name is Mark..."

I managed to stop pondering the meaning behind his tired, broken eyes for a moment to respond.

"Ah... I'm Jack... What brings you up here?"

He turned back towards the seemingly bottomless chasm.

"...I guess I don't really know."

"Oh... Well, I'm here to watch the sunset. It sounds pathetic, I know... Would you mind if I sat with you?"

He nodded, showing me he didn't mind at all. I took a seat beside him, wondering what he could possibly be thinking of.

"So... What's wrong?"

That seemed to startle him.

"Wh-what?"

"What's wrong? You're definitely upset."

"How... How'd you know?"

I thought carefully for a moment and shrugged.

"I guess I have a knack for things like that."

"O-oh... Yeah..."

He paused.

"Sorry... No one's asked me that in a long time."

"Well... I just did. So what's wrong?"

The boy said nothing. I looked away, still waiting patiently. I looked back at him and noticed he was crying.

"Hey, hey, hey... It's alright. Can I hug you...?" I asked awkwardly. He nodded an approval to be comforted. I hugged him as he remained limp in my grasp. When he calmed down, I started with an easier question.

"I've never seen you before... You're new to town, aren't you?"

"Yes... My dad and I moved recently."

"Oh... I'm assuming something happened to your mother, then...?"

He nodded solemnly.

"...She killed herself."

"Oh my God... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have asked. I'm an ass, and you should ignore m-"

"No... I wanted to thank you. You're the only one who's ever cared enough to ask..."

I smiled as Mark scratched his neck awkwardly. His shirt sleeve rolled up a bit, and I saw some rough scars. He caught me looking and quickly covered his arm again.

It didn't take long for me to connect the dots. He was sitting alone on a cliff with scars from self-injury after the recent suicide of his mother... That one didn't take a rocket scientist to see right through.

"...Mark?..."

"..Hm?"

"You don't have to answer, but I'd really like you to... Were you planning on... Jumping?"

He drew a shaky breath and smiled at the cruel irony of his entire situation, chuckling strictly out of self-pity and suppressed pain.

"Yes... Yes I was."

I stood and turned.

"Mark... I'd like for you to stand with me. Get away from the edge."

"And why the hell would I do that...?"

I turned red.

"Well... I've only known you for a few minutes, but I think we could be great friends. And... It hurts me to think that one step could take you away forever..."

That was where it all began.