"For every positive thought, there exists a negative thought."
Lately, my mind has been supercharged with thoughts. Thoughts about the life, philosophy, the universe are coming to me like a speeding rickshaw. Unfortunately, part of me thinks that this inspiration is too much and, consequently, depression has entered back into my happy life.
The phrase that starts this post came to me while thinking about Newton's third law with darkness on the brain. No matter what, I can't seem to shake the truth of such a statement. The unfortunate part for me is the fact that this love I feel may have future consequences, and with every ounce of my being I want to find a way around it.
Life is harsh, so let me put it into words.
This next piece details how rough life can be. Tell me what you think.
"Birthday Wishes"
“Here she comes,” Greg—an attractive twenty-something year-old with dark hair and slim figure—whispered as heavy footsteps pounded against the floor of the hallway just outside the door. Quickly he slid behind the couch, his heart pounding. Everything had come down to that moment. Whatever would happen would determine whether or not his plan was a failure.
The eyes of the two others, a boyfriend and girlfriend around the same age, hiding behind the couch with Greg stared at him with fretful worry. “Whatever you do, don’t come out from behind here until I give the signal.”
“What’s the signal Greggy?” Janice whispered back while nervously fiddling with her long, blond hair.
“You probably shouldn’t pull so hard on your hair, honey. You’ll rip more of it off,” Jaffery, Janice’s boyfriend, stated coolly.
“Hush, Jaffery, you’ll gie us away!” Janice scolded. “Now, Greggy. The signal? What is it?”
“The signal will be: coca-maroo.”
“Coca-maroo? Why coca-maroo?” The front door began to squeak open slowly, and the footsteps from the hallway became louder as their source entered the apartment.
“Coca-maroo!” Greg yelled aloud as he jumped up from behind the couch with the two others immediately following. All three of them stood still, with smiles upon their faces, staring at a woman slightly older than them holding a cloth bag full of groceries in her arms.
“Hey guys…what’s going on…?” The woman asked her three, unexpected guests. For a moment, silence passed between them. Then Greg flashed a frustrated glance at Jaffery.
“Press the button, Jaffery…” Greg stated, smacking his forehead with the palm of his right hand.
“Oh yeah.” Laughing nervously, Jaffery pulled a white square from his jeans pocket and pressed the large, red button on its surface. Immediately, red confetti and a large banner, reading: Happy 30th Birthday Jessica!, dropped down from the ceiling. Jessica’s face lit up with excitement at what her three friends had done for her.
“C’mon into the kitchen,” Janice beckoned, “we have a huge cake waiting for you.” The three friends started leaving for the kitchen, expecting Jessica to follow but she didn’t budge from her spot in front of the doorway. Instead, her knees dropped to the floor as harshly as the groceries that were once in her arms. Although her hands covered her face, tears could still be seen coming from her eyes.
“What’s wrong Jess?” Greg asked. “Did we do something wrong?”
“No,” she responded, “I’m just so happy that someone remembered what today is.”
“Of course we remembered!” Janice remarked. “We’d never forget a day like this!” Jessica smiled brightly.
“I’m so glad to have friends like you guys,” Jessica mumbled through tears.
“Don’t sweat it.” Greg winked. “Now c’mon! Let’s have some cake so you can pick out what you want to do this year for your gift.”
“Can’t you see I’ve already been given a gift?” Jessica stated with a laugh. Her three friends stared at her blankly, unsure of what she meant. “Thanks to you guys, I’m happy for once. What could be a greater gift than happiness?”
Smoothly, Greg went to his friend on the floor and put his hand out for her to grab. Such a gentlemen-like gesture widened the smile on Jessica’s face as she was helped to her feet. All three of them moved to the kitchen where a round, wooden table was set up in the center of the room with three chairs situated around the table’s edges.
The kitchen was quiet, tainted by solely the small tick of the clock on the wall and the memories of the liveliness it had once accepted within its borders. Jessica slowly sat down on one of the chairs and stared out at the empty table in front of her. Small tears began to pour down her soft cheeks with the thoughts of her haunted past.
Tick tock, the clock ticked on the wall behind her. With teary eyes she stared at the decrepit wall directly in front of her whose wallpaper had begun to grow as faded and ravaged as her life. The one item that decorated the wall was a newspaper article which detailed the death two men and a woman—all in their mid-twenties—at the fault of their friend’s reckless driving. The longer she stared at the article, the faster her tears fell onto the table. Softly, she began to sing.
“Happy birthday to me…Happy birthday to me…Happy birthday dear murderer…Happy birthday to me…”
Fate drives me.
~Alex
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