One particularly grim Tuesday, after Mike had “accidentally” spilled a glass of orange juice on Trevor’s brand new laptop, Carol snapped. The argument started in the kitchen, then spilled into the living room, escalating with terrifying speed.
“You do this on purpose, don't you?” Carol shrieked, her face red. “You want to ruin everything!”
“They ruin everything!” Mike yelled back, his voice trembling. “They come in here and try to tell me what to do!”
“They try to bring some stability into this house! Something you clearly can't do yourself!”
Then, Carol said the words that would forever echo in Mike's mind. Words that would change everything.
“Sometimes,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, “sometimes I wish I’d never had you. I should have had an abortion.”
The air went still. Mike stared at his mother, his mind reeling. The words hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut.
He couldn't speak. He just turned and ran, slamming the door behind him. He ran until his lungs burned, until his legs ached. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to get away.
Carol’s words replayed in his head, over and over. “I wish I'd never had you. I should have had an abortion.”
He stumbled to a park, collapsing onto a bench under a gloomy sky. The world seemed grey, lifeless. Was he really just a mistake? An unwanted burden?
A dark thought began to creep into his mind, a chilling solution to the unbearable pain. If he wasn't wanted, if he was just a problem, maybe… maybe it would be better if he wasn't here at all. The thought of disappearing, of escaping the constant turmoil, was strangely appealing.
He stared blankly at the murky pond, the water reflecting his own despair. The idea of ending it all, of simply ceasing to exist, became a dangerous, seductive whisper in his ear.
Emily arrived at the park just in time. One look at Mike and she understood everything. “Mike,” she said, her voice filled with urgency, “You are not alone! You were born to make the world a better place!” Like Alex, Emily had also found the website dedicated to helping teenagers. She knew she wanted to help others; it was far better than watching loved ones suffer.
“You can help those who need you,” she continued, her voice softening. “Meeting tomorrow at 6 PM in the abandoned house.”
Mike thought she was talking nonsense, but then she took his hand. Her hand was warm, filled with life. In her eyes, he saw the same vitality. Her lips… He tried to push the thought away. He just agreed to meet her at the abandoned house tomorrow.
Alex approached the abandoned building. It was 5:50 PM. His heart pounded in his chest. He tried to calm himself, muttering under his breath, “You can help those who need you.” As he got closer, he saw Mike. They used to play basketball together at their old school.
“Alex! What are you doing here?” Mike asked, surprised.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Alex replied, a little breathless. “I got a message online. It said someone needed my help and told me to come here.”
“Sounds familiar! Some strange website. Thought it was a prank at first, but… well, here I am,” Mike said, looking around nervously.
They began to question each other about how they had ended up there, until together, they started repeating the words written in the message:
