Their Story (Only Up To Chapter 15)

Exhaustion

The sunlight of the chilly Monday morning rises through the window and onto his closed eyelids as he exits his peaceful Summer, a ravenous hunger consuming his mind as he awakens. He has not eaten since Friday, and his stomach is screeching at him to get food. Like a newborn crying for a bottle, Shawn's stomach demands food.

"Hoppy?" Shawn asks.

No response. The apartment is empty. Shawn tries to sit upright, only to cough, his throat sore and dry, and his head pounding from caffine withdrawal. Pushing himself beyond his limits has come with a price, and the young man, in his exhaustion, has fallen ill.

Shaking from a fever, he rises to his feet, spotting his phone on the coffee table. He grabs it and decides to text someone. Someone he needs to apologize to. He sits back down, his empty stomach unstable as he moves and sends a text...

Abigail receives a text in the middle of her second class, and upon seeing who it's from, frantically replies. The conversation is as follows...

Shawn: I'm sorry.

Abigail: Oh thank God you're OK. I was worried sick!

Shawn: Sorry.

Abigail: Why aren't you at school?

Shawn: While you're worried sick I actually am sick.

Abigail: Oh that sucks.

Shawn: I'm sorry Abigail.

Abigail: For what?

Shawn: I fell asleep. That was unbelievably rude. I'm sorry.

Abigail: You needed sleep Shawn. If anything apologize for not sleeping.

Shawn: I just...

Shawn stops and thinks about what to say. His condition looms over him, like a knife on a thin thread above his head, the thread that holds it will someday snap, and then...

Shawn: I don't wanna do this anymore.

Abigail: Do what?

Shawn: I don't know. Any of it.

Abigail begins to read between the lines, and suspects that Shawn is planning a huge mistake. A horrible mistake...

Shawn contemplates making this mistake. In his eyes, his life is over, or it will be soon. It's only a matter of time. Those on the internet use "autism" as an insult, comparing Shawn to sociopaths and obsessive fanboys that scream about sauce, not knowing autism is a spectrum and that autism is not synonymous with being psycho.

Shawn doesn't really know this either.

Abigail: Shawn.

Abigail: Don't do this.

Shawn sigh and admits to the dark and twisted thoughts he's having. The lies of his mind as the exhaustion and illness make his thoughts irrational and unstable. His mind like mush that can't process properly what he is feeling. Broken down by the strain and left desiring self destruction. Shawn is somewhat aware of this and tries to convince himself he's not thinking clearly to no avail.

Shawn: I don't know if I will. I'm thinking about it.

Abigail: Shawn don't!

Shawn: Sorry I'm sick. I may not be thinking clearly.

Abigail: No shit Shawn!

Shawn: It's just... my life is a time bomb time Abigail. I'm scared of what my life will be when that clock hits zero.

Abigail: What time bomb?

Shawn: I... I'm not OK Abigail. There's something wrong with me. Something I can never fix. No matter what I do the bomb will go off.