Julian and The Balloon

I was given the prompt "write about a boy named Julian and why he is so afraid of balloons".

The meeting began...

"Hello... my name is Julian Thomas."

He drew in a long breath, "and I'm terrified of balloons"

"Hi Julian", the support group sang.

"You're very brave Julian, please, tell us how this all began, don't be shy"

He stood there like a piece of art in a gallery, still, but very interesting and 

arguably...fascinating. He took in another deep breath, adjusted his sunglasses and 

let his heart spill on the community center floor. 

" It was the day of my...girlfriend's birthday. All she'd asked for was a bouquet of 

flowers and one balloon. I took her request and made it my mission to get what she 

longed for." 

The subsequent silence managed to get an uneasy chuckle out of the audience.

"I went to the corner store we always went to. I got her 

favorite flowers, daises and roses, and one red balloon. 

I waited in her apartment lobby until she got off of work"

He started to choke on his words.

"I waited and waited and she never showed" 

There was a silence in the room that made the air as dense as water. As he divulged

everyone slowly began to drowning with him.

"I stayed until the lobby closed for visitors. My gut was telling me something wasn't right.

For the past year we've met right here every single day. You'd think after 12 months it'd 

be a normal routine? so I took the elevator up to her room and knocked on the door. I waited and waited for what seemed

like centuries until this man opened the door. He snatched the bouquet from my hands and pulled out his lighter.

He burned every rose and made me watch. He let me keep the daisies."

Tears rolled down his face with purpose, and his voice became shaky.

"He took the balloon...

ignited the end of the string...

and he told me

"after tonight you will never ever be able to see Josephine again."

i had never been more terrified. 

he took a blade from his pocket, 

got close to my face and 

stabbed through the balloon."

He pointed to his glasses.

"And that's the last thing i saw, and i will ever see" 

The group began to clap as he took his seat. 

The next person, a girl with bleach blonde hair stood up.

"Hi my name is Josephine Mott and i'm afraid of the truth."

"Hi Josephine"