Mostly Living

Strength

Bad things can happen to good people.

At least, a bad thing happened to me and I consider myself a decent person.

I was 15 years old and in high school. Well, when I was went to school. You see, I was sick.

I was not sick physically, but I was mentally. I don't know how, so don't ask. One day, I didn't go to school. This wasn't out of the ordinary for me. I was out for a walk; walking was my cure. I usually just walked through the downtown area of my small town of Mulberry, South Carolina. But today, I needed to walk more; I was sicker today than ever before.

I don't know how I ended up here in this empty room all alone, I just did. Someone I don't know took me here. Of course, I refused at first. There was a few seconds of shock and fear, and then it was over. I struggled a bit, but I let them take me. Yes, I was kidnapped. Yes, I let them take me. I don't know why, so don't ask.

I can't remember much; it's part of my sickness. I don't know why I liked being all alone in that big room for so long, so don't ask. I slept a lot. I was mostly stuck in between my dreams and reality. Sometimes, I couldn't tell which was which. It made me very angry.

Soon, being in that big room, alone and sad, I was enraged. I needed to get out. The reality had finally hit me. I planned on how I would be able to escape, but my brain was too soft and confused to think. What happened next was one thing I was confused about for a long time, but I've finally firgured it out.

The click of the pistol's hammer wakes me. A velvety voice lilts out of my vision, "Tell me a good joke and I just may let you live." I glimpsed at the man cracking a smile and chuckling a little. What must I say to stay alive?

This was the first time I was asked to speak in weeks. I didn't think that I could remember how. Without even thinking, the words started spilling out. I didn't even understand them as I was speaking, but I must've been planning my first words I would say this whole time I was away. Merely my situation was enough to pour words out of my mouth.

"Strength. It's more compelling than any pain or suffering in the world. Strength. It's the one thing I still possess. Strength. It's the one thing you wouldn't expect from someone like me. Strength. It's the only option I have."

The look on his face was so profound. He looked like that was the exact opposite thing he expected, but was the exact thing he wanted to hear. Maybe he was struggling too, in his own way. Yes, he was. I could see it in his heart by looking deep into his eyes. I also saw sympathy there, staring at me directly it was nearly blinding.

He smirked and quickly untied my arms from behind the old, dusty chair. He then cut the rope in which tied my legs to the legs of the same chair. Once I regained feeling in my hands, I helped him. For the first time in so long, I was free.

We then left with grace and continued our lives in complete glee and gratitude.