A Single Tear

A Story by sophgracie

As she took a step towards the polished white door she heard a cry from inside. The door was locked, but she lifted the dirty mat revealing a small silver key. The key fitted easily in to the lock and door swung open to reveal a dark hallway. On the walls hung photographs of a smiling family, but the smiles were only photo deep, anyone who knew them would know that the photos were a lie.

There was another cry, this time louder, more desperate. She ran up wooden stairs, her footsteps echoing through the empty house. At the top of the stairs she stopped and listened, there was nothing. She ran to the bathroom door, it was locked. From her hair she pulled out a bobby pin and jiggled it in the lock.

The door swung open enough for her to slide through. As she did her heart skipped a beat. There, lying on the floor at her feet was her best friend. In her limp hand was a pair of nail scissors, covered in blood. Her wrist had deep cuts. She pulled a towel down from the hanger and pressed it against the cuts. Trying to keep pressure on the towel she placed her head against her friend’s chest, she could hear the slow heart beat. From her pocket she pulled out her phone and dialled 000. The rest of the night was a blur of people talking and asking questions. Her body went into autopilot.