Speak Up

Actions speak louder than words but there comes a time when you need to speak up. Be heard. Because what you want to say might be too late for the one who needs to hear it.

Part 1 - Piper

I sat on the floor of my room. The only light coming in from my dim desk lamp. My phone sat next to me begging me to call someone instead of what I wanted to do. I picked up the shiny blade that was next to my phone and swiped it across my wrist. 

 

That was for Randy shoving me inside a locker day after day. 

 

This is for Kyle leaving threatening notes in my school books. 

 

This is for the rest of his bullying gang who like beating me up behind the school.

 

My arm sits there with the three slashes dripping in the crimson color and staining the carpet. 

 

My dad was oblivious to it all because he was always 'working'. I hardly ever saw him in the house anymore. 

 

I was numb to the pain but that didn't stop the few stray tears to fall. Inside I was breaking but outside I was almost solid as a rock. 

 

Randy and his little gang had gotten me earlier this week. It was too close for comfort. I never knew why they picked on me or beat me up but today I wanted nothing more than for them to something other than what they did. 

 

Randy had two of his buddies holding me against the wall hidden by the dumpsters. Randy and Kyle can around the corner looking smug both sporting that stupid smirk of theirs. 

 

They took turns using me as a rag doll. Stripped me of my clothing and hitting me when I wouldn't comply. Randy ended up having the two men tie my hands up making it impossible to escape as they did things I never wanted to do until later with the right guy. 

 

I never want to see that group of boys ever again. I made a fourth slice. 

 

My phone's unoriginal ringtone broke my silence. 

 

"Hi dad." I said with no emotion whatsoever.

 

"Hey piper. I just wanted to call and see how you're doing. You're always so quiet."

 

"I'm fine dad."

 

"Alright sweetie. I'll be home in an hour. Love you." A tear slipped.

 

"Love you too." Another tear slipped as I hung up. 

 

My dad said he loved me. He's never said that before. 

 

No matter how much I wanted to take another swipe across my arm I couldn't do it. Thanks to my dad I couldn't bring myself to make another attempt. 

 

My brick wall I had built over the month of torture from Randy began crumbling down after one phone call from my dad. 

 

The pain began seeping through the cracks in my wall and the tears came easily. I screamed. 

 

All those days of pent up anger released in that scream. 

 

I wanted to throw something at the wall. Something else to get my anger out. Blade or phone? Either one I couldn't do. I threw my lamp instead watching as the light blew and darkness enveloped me.

 

I took the blade in my other hand as I lied on the floor on the verge of breaking into sobs.

 

I began making the same four slices but slowly as I relished in the pain but not feeling any better. They had taken away two important firsts of mine without a care in the world.

 

I heard the door open suddenly but I didn't move from my spot on the floor. 

 

It was my neighbor, Ash. 

"Piper! I heard you screaming. What's going on?" he said as he opened the door into my dark abyss. 

 

Maybe if he thought I was already dead he would go away. 

 

Dead. 

 

The light flickered on as I heard him gasp probably at the sight of me. 

 

Maybe that's why I'm lying here in my own blood. I don't want to live anymore. I want to be gone and away from Randy's beatings. 

 

Ash never made a sound or any attempt to come near me or call for help. Maybe he did think I was already gone. 

 

That was until I twitched to grab the blade again in my shaking hand. 

 

"Piper don't!" he yelled like it would stop me. His voice sounded closer that time. I didn't care anymore. No one cared about me. Not even my dad. That phone call didn't matter anymore. 

 

"Goodbye Ash." I whispered barely audible as I plunged the blade into my stomach. I felt Ash come to my side.

 

"I need an ambulance at 13 Brickwood Drive." he paused. He's called for help. Does he actually care for me?

 

"My neighbor. She-- she-- just hurry before she bleeds to death." He dropped his phone on the ground a moment layer and he left my side. 

 

He just left me there on the floor. No he doesn't care for me. Another tear slipped as a shudder rocked through me. 

 

Ash returned and wrapped my wrists tightly with cloth. Then he removed the blade that I was still clutching loosely. He placed a towel on my belly and pulled me into his lap. He was trying to stop the bleeding but I was already too weak to fight him. 

 

"What are you doing to yourself Piper?"

 

"I- I'm setting myself free."

"Free from what?"

"From randy and his gang. From everything. I don't want to live. Not anymore."

"What did Randy's gang do this time?" He knew they bullied me but didn't do anything to stop it because he was never there in the first place. The teachers would break it up and save me. 

Tears fell freely but I couldn't tell him. I couldn't bring myself enough courage to tell him. I fumbled on the words that were incoherently escaping.

 

"The teachers weren't around these times. T-they didn't hold back." it was the most clear out of everything I had said. 

 

"Everything will be alright piper. I'm here now. They can't hurt you." no it will not be okay. I just want to be free from their torturing. I thought it would get better the next day but they came back for more like hungry wolves. I have bruises almost everywhere. They're gonna come back for more I know it. 

 

He was cradling me in his arms. Looking at his face he was crying. He was crying because of me. 

 

The shrill sound of the ambulance became prominent outside. It was all I could hear until it stopped and Ash spoke.

 

"Upstairs hurry!" he had turned his head to the door to yell it. And when he turned his head back to me he did something unexpected.

 

"Piper I'm so sorry I never told you this before but you mean the world to me." he pushed a stray hair out of my tear stained face and kissed me. "Please stay strong for me." I could barely feel my hands but he was holding onto them for dear life. 

 

Ash my neighbor kissed me. Sure it was quick but it was better than Randy's. It gave me hope. 

My hearing felt waterlogged. I couldn't stay strong anymore even with Ash's newfound information. He cared for me even if I didn't realize it. Just because he wasn't there when Randy bullied me didn't mean he wouldn't of been there if he could. 

 

I was falling into the dark abyss called death. Ash was saying something but I couldn't hear it and he looked farther away than before. 

 

I don't want to die anymore. I want to live for Ash. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Part 2 - Ash

 

As the medics took Piper away on the gurney, I wanted to punish Randy and his gang for what they did to her. 

Because of him she no longer felt like living. She must have felt like no one cared for her. 

 

But I did and she never realized that her next door neighbor lived to see her smile every day. Seeing her in the morning put a smile on my face and it set a chain reaction. But last month she became distant and her smile began fading. A few times I would see a smile but it looked fake and I never had the courage to ask what was wrong. 

 

When I heard her scream I knew something was happening and raced over. She had finally snapped from what they had done. It must have been a life changer because I had never seen her this way. She looked so alone lying there bleeding it broke my heart. 

 

Piper the wallflower who got picked on everyday by Randy and his goons. 

 

Piper who would smile in the morning for no reason. 

 

Piper the girl next door who I fell in love with and was too stubborn to tell until it was too late.

No it can't be too late. 

 

I had watched her take the knife in shaking hands and stab herself. She wanted to die but I couldn't let her. Yet I stood there and did nothing to stop it. 

 

I should have grabbed the knife out of her hands before she made another cut but I couldn't. My heart practically stopped when I saw her. 

 

The medics will save her I know it. She has to stay strong. 

 

The police were asking me questions as the ambulance drive away. This is no doubt going to be on the news in our small town where nothing ever happens. 

 

Her dad had just showed up and was given the run down from the cop. He looked just a bit heartbroken at the news. But when he saw me sitting there on his couch in his living room I wanted to disappear. His murderous stare only softened when the cop mentioned that I was the one who was saving her. 

 

The cop said his goodbyes and left. I stood up too about to leave.

 

"I should go." he stopped me.

 

"No. I want to talk. What do you know about Piper?" he sat me back on the couch and looked at me. "Spill."

 

"It’s this group of people at school. They bully her. I don't know why. They've been bullying her all month. But today I didn't see her in the one class we have together and I got worried. 

 

"But I never saw her. I didn't know when she got home this afternoon but when she screamed I came right over. She didn't tell me much but that group of people hurt her. They did something and she didn't know how to handle it."

 

"What did they do before?"

 

"They like stuffing her in a locker. I don't know of any others but I doubt she has other problems from them."

 

"And who are these people?"

I could get into trouble if I spill their names but anything for piper. They need to pay.

"Randy and Kyle's gang."

 

"Come. We'll tell the police on the way to the hospital. They should know about this. And before you ask, thank you for rushing over."

 

Well that shut me up. I just nodded and followed him out the door into the passenger seat of his car. 

 

We made it to the police station and I told him about the bullying in school and how I think they did something bad enough that made her want to be gone. 

 

They took the information into questioning and let us go. As soon as he parked in the hospital lot I ran to the front desk. I didn't care about the crazy looks I just wanted to know if piper was alright.

 

I skidded to a halt at the front desk. 

 

"Piper Willow. What room is she in?"

 

She typed away at her computer before responding. "She’s in surgery still. You'll have to wait. I'll let the doctors know you're here." she typed away some more and as I left she picked up the phone. 

 

I sat in one of the chairs facing the E.R. doors waiting for a response. Mr. Willow came in shortly after and sat next to me. 

 

Time went slowly and agonizing as we waited for someone to come and tell us something. We sat in silence until Mr. Willow spoke up.

 

"So, you like piper don't you?"

His question caught me off guard. 

 

"Well... yeah... I do." So. Awkward.

 

"I really did mean thank you earlier. If it wasn't for you she might have been already gone. I would have came home and found her too late to be saved." 

 

We fell silent again but it was a bit less awkward.

 

"Are you Mr. Willow?" said a doctor who finally emerged from the door. Her dad nodded. "And you," he said to me. "You're the neighbor who found her?"

I nodded wondering how he knew this information. 

 

"Piper is stable and resting. We almost lost her; it’s a miracle she's alive. She cut each if her wrists four times. Her stomach is stitched up as well. I would advise to keep her away from sharp objects. And she has multiple bruises everywhere that could be hidden with clothing. Was there something she didn't tell you?"

 

"Yeah, Ash here says she was bullied in school. Can we see her?" 

 

"Really now? Ash come over here." I stood up and followed the doctor out of earshot from Mr. Willow.

 

"What kind of bullying is she getting at school?"

"She gets picked on, shoved into lockers, and punched on a daily basis. Those bullies did something to her though, something horrible enough for her to do that to herself. Is there any tests that you could run quickly to see if they did anything?"

"We can see what we can do. You two can see her when I get back with the results." he turned and walked away back through the double doors. I went back to my seat to play the waiting game again. 

 

When the doctor emerged again I instantly felt sad instead of relieved. The way he walked gave it away before he spoke. But then he said the one word I didn't want to hear tonight. 

 

Randy had taken the one thing that was hers to decide when.

 

I want to murder that b*****d for what he did but I restrained myself. No need to get into trouble; just let the police handle it. 

 

The time had come to see who got to stay overnight with piper and who went home. 

Even though I wanted to be there next to her I should go home but Mr. Willow needed to be at work and he had to clean up. 

 

I sat there in the uncomfortable chair lightly holding her hand. 

 

Everything will be okay. 

Randy and his goons will get locked up.

And I'll be here for Piper. 

I'll be here for her now and forever. 

Author's Note

Criticism would be helpful! Rip this to shreds!