Then You Called

A Chapter by KaiserD

When I hear your voice, my wounds are healed

     Once I stood atop a building. It was a beautiful day, one of the best of the days. I sighed as I looked up. The sun was shining brightly and inspiring, wind blowing ever so gently, carrying my hopes away with it.
     The wind caresses my arms and neck, kissing the bruises they imparted. The sun warmed the marks they had left. The drops of sweat tickling where they had beat me. I walked close to the edge and looked down. People were below, walking carelessly. Perhaps they were down there, this was where they worked after all. They were curious when I had asked to go to work with them. They did not know why I wanted to really go. They suggested I go hang out with my friends on this nicest of days. They were trying to be nice for once. I shrugged and told them I was curious about where they worked. In the back of my mind, I pictured all the friends, all of my friends who mocked me behind my back, when they thought I was not around. All my friends who insulted me when they thought I could not hear, then tried to console me shortly after when they saw my tears. I wondered if they ever knew the true pain I was in.
     Once they knew, I wondered if they would have any regrets. I wondered how they would react once they read my note, what will they say, what will they think? Forty-eight floors down. At about ten feet in height per floor, that would be almost five hundred feet. I wondered if it will hurt. Probably only briefly.
     I slowly walked back. I figured that in the middle of the road might be best, if they were in their offices, word would reach them quicker that way with all the possible crashes. I sighed slowly and looked towards the edge.
     Memories flooded through me in that sigh. Harsh words with harsh beatings pounded into me by them. Then I laughed a little. Sticks and stones, that bullshit was just another lie, all they ever did was lie. I thought about stretching. It would really suck to trip and break my leg before I even made it to the edge.
     I decided to stretch a bit. I could tell my mind was having doubts, it kept trying to prolong this decision. Maybe it knew.
     I sighed once more after looking at the door to the roof behind me, then looked forward. The sun was shining brightly.
     I ran onward. Twenty-five feet, twenty feet, fifteen feet until destiny. Ten feet away I felt my phone ring in my pocket. I forgot I had my phone on me, no one ever called me, let alone text. I came to a halt, less than three feet from the edge. I answered the phone. You had called.
     You asked how I was, if there was anything wrong. You said that I seemed sad, lonely. You tried to cheer me up. You told me you had to ask five friends before you finally found someone who knew my phone number. You seemed really worried. I replied and we talked. You asked if I was going to go see a movie coming out that weekend. I told you that I had not intended on it. Then you asked if I wanted to go with you. You seemed so embarrassed asking me, as if you were trying to with out sounding so strange. I smiled and asked why you would want to go with me, someone who no one really liked and no one really cared for. Then you told me that you did. I told you that I was glad that you did, inside I could not express my joy efficiently, it dumbstruck me how happy I was. We made plans to go to see the movie.
     Shortly we hung up. I laughed a bit on the inside. Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me, whoever made up that saying never realized the power of words. They tortured and hurt me more than a stick or stone, but they healed me instantaneously as well. I put the phone back into my pocket. I looked over the edge and smiled as I looked off into the horizon. It was such a nice day.
     I walked to the door, heading away from the edge. I could feel my hope returning, my hope for them to learn that they actually are hurting their child, and that you could heal the scars they leave.

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