• a loud slam of a door was the end of it all. the end of a disaster. she never wanted to see his face again. Melissa angrily slammed her car door and sped out of his driveway. she didn't know where she was going or what she would do when she got there. but she just needed to get out of there and leave thoughts and horrible memories of him behind. she needed to get the reminders of human failure out of her skull. she was yearning to release the energy and intensity out of her system. she drove for hours, forcing his vigorous voices from her head.
    sometime later she ended up in a fairly large town. she checked into a motel. she slumped down on the creaking bed. Melissa cried for hours trying to understand what had just happened. her fiance left her. and she was devastated. she poked her head out of her room's door and walked outside to her car. she had decided to go out, maybe have a drink or two.
    the bar was mostly empty when she arrived. "martini." she ordered to the man behind the counter. he had it to her faster than she anticipated. "thanks.." she mumbled in a drowsy voice. he stood silent, but she knew he knew something was wrong. "where's the nearest drug store?" she asked without looking up from the ground. "down the street..." he replied under his breath. the room fell silent besides the country music in the back and a chatty couple in a nearby booth. "hmmm.." she said to herself after sipping the whole drink down. the bar-keep sat on a stool that stood behind him and opened a book. "you don't get much business here do you?" Melissa interrupted the silence. "no. not much." the strange man said hunched over his novel. moments past and he got out of his chair to make Melissa another drink...and then another. Melissa fished three bills from her purse, set them on the table and left the hushed pub.
    she walked outside into the city's lights and billboards. it was much more ear-splitting outside. the wind chilled Melissa's face as she paced to the building with the words 'drugstore' in bright red. inside it felt warm. the store was coincidentally empty. she walked up to a pale-faced woman. her dark locks covered her face and shoulders. "excuse me. where do you keep your tylenol?" Melissa asked with a tiny slur in her voice. "aisle eight.." the woman said with indifference. Melissa tried to walk strait. images swirled in her head as she reached aisle eight. she grabbed a bottle of tylenol and purchased what she really needed at the time.

    _*_*_*two days later_*_*_*
    "has anyone heard from Melissa?" my mom asked Rose, a close friend and co-worker. "no sweetie. i keep trying her cell." she answered in her scratchy voice, you could tell she smoked cigarettes. "it's been three days, she hasn't been to work or home." my mom said frightened. i stood there listening to their conversation. Rose, my mom, and Melissa all worked together. just then a police officer came through the door and looked at the three of our worried faces. "rose reynolds?" the tall man asked. "that's me officer." she choked out. "i have some bad news," he stopped when he saw our faces. "we've found Melissa, she committed suicide. im really sorry." he said. it sounded like he really didn't care to me, like he had other things to do. it got silent. "how?" i asked in almost a whisper. my mom just stood looking at the floorboards. "overdose....tylenol, i think." he said, it sounded as if he ran out of oxygen to breathe. "oh my god, oh. oh my god..." Rose stammered, she walked away. i could tell she was going to go cry. i ran to the back door and cried so hard that i choked. she was a best friend, she was like a second mother, but now she is no more......


    for anyone who is thinking about doing what Mellisa did, please don't. think about all the people your leaving behind. im not the best at this advice thing but talk to someone before you do anything.

    dedicated to: Melissa, Mellisa's family and anyone who can relate to this story.