R.I.P Amanda Todd

 Her YouTube video started out innocently enough. The Canadian teen, her face obscured from the camera, held a stack of cards each filled with messages in black marker.

"I've decided to tell you about my never ending story," the card in Amanda Todd's hands read.

At this point the viewer may have no idea that they are about to be led on the most agonizing journey, one that pushed the premier of British Columbia to issue a stern warning against bullying, a journey that has birthed a Facebook page with thousands of people commenting and many offering condolences.

In the soundless, black and white video, the teen showed one card after another. Each card painfully sinking the viewer deeper into the anguish too many teens have experienced.

"In 7th grade I would go with friends on webcam," the card in her hand read.


The next few cards reveal that the teen began to get attention on the Internet from people that she did not know. People who told her she was beautiful, stunning, perfect.

"They wanted me to flash. So I did one year later," the cards said.

The teen then got a message on Facebook from a stranger who said she needed to show more of herself or he would publish the topless pictures he had taken of her.

"He knew my address, school, relatives, friends, family, names ..."

On Christmas break, the police came to her home to tell her that photos of her were sent to "everyone."

She pushed the next card very close to the camera.

"I then got really sick anxiety major depression and panic disorder. I then moved and got into alcohol and drugs."

She says she struggled with anxiety, rarely went out for a year. And then the same man appeared again with a Facebook page that displayed her topless as his profile picture.

"Cried every night, lost all my friends and respect people had for me ... again ..."

She was teased and felt as if she could never erase that photo. She started cutting, a form of self-injuring act that psychologists say is an impulse-control behavior that sometimes accompanies a variety of mental illnesses.

Then, she moved to another new school.

"Everything was better even though I sat still alone," the next card read. "After a month later I started talking to an old guy friend."

She thought the guy liked her even though she knew he had a girlfriend. One day he asked her to come over because his girlfriend was on vacation.

"So I did ... huge mistake ... I thought he liked me," she held the cards in one shaky hand now, using the other to brush under her eye as if wiping away a tear.

A week later the guy's girlfriend showed up at her school with a posse of 15 others. A crowd gathered. The girlfriend berated her screaming that nobody liked her.

"A guy than yelled just punch her already ..."

She was punched. Thrown on the ground.

"I felt like a joke in this world I thought nobody deserves this," the next card reads. "Teachers ran over but I just went and layed in a ditch and my dad found me."

When she got home she drank bleach.

"It killed me inside and I thought I actually was going to die."

She was rushed to a hospital to flush the chemical out of her.

She put the next card almost flush with camera so that the viewer can no longer see her and only sees "After I got home all I saw on Facebook- She deserved it and did you wash the mud out of your hair? I hope she is dead."

She moved in with her mother into a different city and a different school. But her past followed her.

"6 months has gone by ... people are posting pics of bleach, and ditches ... Everyday I think why am I still here,"

Her struggles with anxiety and cutting had gotten worse and even despite counseling and antidepressants she still was rushed to hospital again after an overdose.

The last cards say simply: "I have nobody. I need someone. My name is Amanda Todd."

One day earlier, Amanda Todd's body was found in her home, police in the Vancouver-area city of Coquitlam said. She took her own life.

Amanda was 15.

R.I.P Amanda Todd

Author's Note

She always deserved the best, but no one "liked" her. Amanda Todd took her life, and is now in heaven. May she always rest in peace...

R.I.P Amanda Todd

Please remember that half of this got taken off of the Internet and I changed it around here and there so I wouldn't get "plajerized"....

Reviews

[therisa]

As a child, who grew up in the 1970's and 80's, I was spared cyberbullying, but I know the cruel hand of bullying, personally. Having enduring from kindergarten to the end of grade 10, when I transferred to another high school, in the same city. but, the memories and the suicidal impulse didn't stop. For three years, I walked into the kitchen and held a knife against my chest, but was too weak to shove it home.

I hid this, from my parents, knowing, there was nothing they could do, to stop these memories of mine. So, Amanda, you aren't alone, just gone, to a better place.

[Forever Hidden]

Thank you for the review :)

[therisa]

Your welcome, Forever Hidden.

[Mikael Malmberg]

She was stupid, albeit being just thirteen. Truthfully, it is only her own fault and her own lack of balls that caused all this to happen. It's a shame that our society feeds on the weak, but there's nothing we can do about it. And as her parents were apparently utter s**t, as in "not caring about their daughter", she came to do the ultimate drama queen choice: SUICIDE.

Suicide is never forced: there's a reason only humans do it. Because humans are sick. I feel only little pity for her, as the rest of it has been washed away by constant anger at this mass movement of R.I.P messages to people who committed suicide. What's it all about? Everyone just wants to put in their condolences in order to feel a little better about themselves.

Amanda Todd will never see heaven, sorry. People who committed suicide will go to hell. That's the Bible for you.

[Forever Hidden]

It was her fault to do what she did on the camera to a stranger, but I never ever thought she deserved the bullying in every school she went to. End of discussion.

[Mikael Malmberg]

I agree with you.

[Forever Hidden]

And same here in my religion.
If someone committed suicide, they go to hell
:/

[Mikael Malmberg]

I'm not religious, but that's what reads in the Bible. I know this, because I used to be religious not a long while ago. :)

But for Amanda's sake, let's just assume that the world has no base sense of morale. It doesn't care if someone died killing themselves, and it will only store their souls if such things exist.

[Andie]

It never directly says in the bible that a person who commuted suicide is going to hell... The closest thing is 'thou shall not kill' but Samson killed himself, and I don't think that 'god' sent him to hell...

[Mikael Malmberg]

Thankfully we have a right to have our own opinions.

[I LUV 1DIRECTION]

i watched the video on youtube yesterday and started crying! she got bullied so much that she comitted suicide because of a small mistake! she never deserved any of the stuff she got put thru. people like that guy are the reason the world is the way it is. i really wish i had known her because i would have stayed her friend thru it all and not just left her side because every one else was.

[Forever Hidden]

IKR?!!!!!!!!! I MEAN UGHHHH I HATE THOSE PEOPLE WHO DID THAT TO HER!!! Igh I want to kill someone right now -.-

[C.C. Marx]

no one deserves to be treated like that, no matter what they've done. Great tribute, such a tragic story

[Forever Hidden]

I agree.

Thank you for reading and reviewing :)

[frivolous treasures]

A tragic story, a beautiful tribute.
Down with those whose minds are too narrow to concieve, for they will be the ones who become their own victims. I hope, with this story, that the guy who demanded this of her, has lost all he has. For she has lost her life, then surely he will lose his happiness. And happiness is life.

A truly moving story and tribute. Very well done.

[Forever Hidden]

Thank you for reviewing. The police are trying to figure out who the man is. They think it is Kody Maxson.....

[frivolous treasures]

Your welcome... and I do hope that they will catch the right man, or the man in question soon

[Baby Ricochet]

What can I say besides it's a really tragic story. The more stories like this one come out the more awareness is brought to bullying. She never should have done the toppless thing. Some girls heads are wired to do that sort of thing and some aren't. Obviously she was not. She was to Naive to know what that was going to lead to. Poor child.

[Forever Hidden]

Thank you for trying to spread the message and also reviewing.

[~Dragon X]

This is really sad.....

I truly don't understand the motives behind bullying like this. I read an article on cyber-bullying for English class recently...and this story does show that the issue must be addressed. I have never been bullied, and if I have I don't remember it, but I feel bad I couldn't be there for Amanda, when it seems as though all of the dumb, idiotic people on Earth gathered into that one little school and picked on the innocent there. But, the message was portrayed very nicely, as Rider put. You did a really good job on this one. ^^

[Forever Hidden]

I kind of cop pasted it from another website, then changed some sentecnes so i dont get plajerized thank u for the review

[~Dragon X]

Ah, but still, it's great that you're spreading the message. Anytime. ^^'

[Dark Rider]

This is a problem too many people face. I am glad you did a story on this, Hidden, for it can never be said to much. No one should be treated like that. It's bad enough when a few kids bully you from school, but when people you don't even know over the internet start to bully you, it's worse. She didn't deserve such pain. You did a very nice job in portraying the message, Hidden. Keep it up!

[Forever Hidden]

Thank for reviewing..

[Dark Rider]

You're welcome!

[Steven Cash]

I just heard about this story

Not blaming anybody, but nude pics and vids online are DANGEROUS

it's not worth the mementary thrill

She did something on a dare

NOT AT ALL JUSTIFYING THE BULLYING

don't get me wrong

RIP AT

[Forever Hidden]

She didn't mean it to go viral.......

[Forever Hidden]

And I get what you mean. Thanks for reviewing.

[Steven Cash]

Np

[Harley (arbiter)]

It happens more often than we know. Terrible and its so sad they don't have help or anyone there for them.

[Harley (arbiter)]

I should be saying more but I just don't know what TO say

[Forever Hidden]

It's okay. I just want the message to spread around

[Harley (arbiter)]

As do I