Changes

Families...need to notice the changes.

                Slit. Another mark left on the arm of the fragile boy. He watched the blood drip onto the rug in his room. That was another stain that he was going to have to explain to his parents. He looked at the blood running from his arm. He wondered if it was ever going to stop flowing. He grabbed a cloth and dabbed at the wound. He ignored the stinging pain that he felt after the fresh cut.

                “Peter, time for dinner,” he heard his mother call. Peter wasn’t that hungry, but he knew that his mother would get mad if he didn’t. Peter had to hide the wound that he just created. He put a bandage over it. Peter put his favorite hoodie on.

                Peter ran down the stairs to eat his food. He knew that he was going to throw it up later, but he wanted to make his mother happy. He sat at the table with the rest of his family. His older brother was sitting next to him, his younger brother across from him, and his baby sister next to his other brother. Peter smiled at his little sister which made her giggle. His father was sitting at the head of the table on the left side and his mother on the right. The family of six would always eat their meals together. Who knew that it would change?

                Peter looked down at the food that was sitting in front of him. They were having pizza for dinner that night. It was Peter’s favorite pizza too. It looked appetizing, but he didn’t want the grease to go down his throat. He felt fat as it was because people were telling him that he was. He had an extra couple of pounds on him, but nothing that made him fat. He picked the slice of pizza off the plate and ate it.

                “How was everyone’s day?” Peter’s father asked openly. He was always so cheerful when he got home from work. Peter didn’t know how his father did it. Peter on the other hand always came home feel miserable. He was being bullied by so many people, but he never opened up about it to his family. Peter didn’t know how.

                “My day was awesome, father!” his older brother responded. His eyes were filled with so much passion Peter could actually tell. He wondered what was going on. He knew that his older brother was on the football team. Maybe his team had won the game today.

                “Why is that, son?” his father asked interested.

                “My team won! We are going to the state championships!” His brother explained. Peter knew it had something to do with football. He hated football and any sport for that matter. Other boys would pick on him because he liked to sing, dance, write music, and draw and not play sports. He knew that almost every boy in his class was the same way. He knew that some of the nerds were on his side, but he never fit in with them either.

                “I’m so proud, son! How was your day, Peter?”

                “Oh, it was great,” Peter said lying. He couldn’t tell his father what was really going on. Not even his older brother knew although they were in the same school. His brother never paid attention to him in school because they were in two different grades. He was in tenth and his brother was in his senior year. The older kids wouldn’t pick on him, but the other kids in his grade would.

                Peter didn’t listen to see how the rest of the family’s day was. He was focused on getting away from the table. He could feel eyes were looking at him. It was his little sister staring at him. Peter smiled at her. They were pretty close even though she was a lot younger than he was.  She smiled back widely and asked her mother if she could be excused. He watched her go into her room for a few seconds.

                Peter asked the same thing and went back into his room before his sister could ask him anything. He didn’t want her to know what was going on in his head. He heard a tiny knock on the door knowing it was his sister. “Brother, please open up.”

                “Sorry sis, but I can’t at the moment,” Peter said. He didn’t want her to see his blood on the floor. She was too innocent to know what he was doing to himself. It’s not like she noticed the changes within him.

                “Please! I made you something,” she said in a cute tone. It was the tone she always used when she wanted her way. He sighed, put a towel over his blood, and opened the door. When he opened it she tackled him and jumped up and down on him. He laughed at that.

                “Did you really make me something or are you lying to me?” Peter asked with a wide smile that he would only give to her.

                “No, I really did make you something,” she said bouncing on him still. She pulled something from behind her back and gave it to him. It was card that was drawn. She could see the tears in his eyes. He was so happy with the gift he received from her. He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled. Cassie knew her brother was suffering, but through what she didn’t know.

                “I love you, Cassie,” he said kissing her on the cheek again.

                “I love you too, Peter!” she said and kissed him back. She loved her older brother.

She sat in his lap because she was tired. She fell asleep in his arms. He kissed her on the forehead.

                “Should I really do this to my family?” He questioned in his head. Peter knew that his family loved him, but he couldn’t take anything that was going on in his life anymore. Cassie was what made him happy in life, but only when she was around did he ever feel that emotion. Not even his other siblings could make him smile. His parents just didn’t understand him.

                No one could understand the pain he felt. He got the knife again. Slit. Another mark bore into his skin. Peter didn’t cry nor did he flinch. The pain felt good to him. Peter went to his attic. He knew that is where his father kept his gun. Peter ran up to get it.  He thought of Cassie and his family…

                He knew that Cassie cared, but what about the rest of his family? They did ignore him just as much as the people in school did. His family always had their own agenda. Peter couldn’t take it. The bad thoughts kept plaguing him.

                He went to the front door, opened it quietly, and closed it. Ran over to the park he loved…and shot himself. He knew that doing that would end the pain that he felt.

                Rest in peace, Peter.

…

                Cassie woke up sensing something was wrong. Cassie ran into his room and saw that Peter was gone. Cassie ran into her parent’s room. “Mommy, daddy, where is Peter?!” She exclaimed.

                “He’s in his room. Go back to sleep, sweetie,” her mother said.

                “No, he’s not!” Cassie screamed.

                “Honey, don’t lie to me! Go back to bed,” her mother shouted. Her father sighed and picked her up. He went by Peter’s room to see that he was not in there. Panic entered his body. His daughter was right.

                “Honey, she’s right. He isn’t in there,” he exclaimed. His mother rolled her eyes. She got up to look for herself. She felt panic enter her body when she saw he wasn’t in the room.

                She ran into Mark and Damien’s room. Peter wasn’t in there either. She woke them up and asked them if they saw their brother. They both shook their head no.

                “We have to go search for him!” his mother said in a panic. His father put his coat on to search all of the places that he thought Peter would go. He eventually decided to search the park. He knew that was Peter’s favorite place as a child. When he got there...Peter was there lying in a pool of his own blood.

                His father screamed and dialed 911 as soon as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He called his family…and they rushed there as soon as they could. The ambulance came as fast as they could. The EMT just shook his head.

                “I’m sorry, sir...he didn’t make it,” the EMT said. Cassie took it the hardest…she should have spoken up. She saw that her brother was suffering, but she didn’t know it had gotten that bad. When she looked at her brother for the last time…she could see all the scars that were on his arms...             

                Cassie still couldn’t believe that he was gone. “Rest in peace, Peter. I love you.”

Reviews

[Strigoikillerr]

Oh my gosh!! This was so terribly sad. The entire time I was thinking please don't kill yourself, Peter. Please don't kill yourself. Ahh :(

I loved the beginning, "Slit. Another mark left on the arm of the fragile boy’s arm." It really catches the reader's attention.

What inspired you to write this if I may ask? ^^

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you for the review.
I want to be an advocate for bullying. This story fit in with the other 2 bullying stories I have written. This one took a lot of thought.

[Strigoikillerr]

That's awesome and really inspiring. Thanks for sharing

[C.C. Marx]

Great job, such a sad sad story....and whats even more sad is that is has become a frequent thing, beautifully written

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you.

[C.C. Marx]

no prob, i enjoyed reading it :)

[Miiki]

It's so sad. You truly feel connected to the characters that it affects you emotionally too. I love Cassie and Peter, you did a really good job in telling the story of those who get bullied.

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you :3

[Rorenzu]

uhmmm. honestly, just another usual story. nothing special. But what you have written actually is a reality... Parents should be aware of what their children are facing. Bullying to children is rampant nowadays, and that's a sad story :(

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you...

[John Stussy]

That was... intense. O.O Well written though.

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you o.o

[Amandaaa Caroline (:]

Ohmygosh, this is so beautiful, but so heartbreaking.. This is a really great story, I really got into it, and then he died, awwww. This was really sweet, I don't think people realize that there are actually others who care.. You did a great job with this story, it's written beautifully, great write!

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you. :3

[Tasha]

Aww this is such a sad story, but you told it beautifully. Wonderful write sister.

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you, sister :3

[Tasha]

No problem :)

[- - -]

-heartbreaks into a million little pieces- that was a beautifully written story but so terribly sad...great write mama

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Awe, thank you baby girl.