Jack's Story

The Tale of Two Friends

                He and I have been close friends for some number of years now.  And, as most good friendships go, we never once felt a distance between ourselves.  We always met on the weekends to discuss the week’s events.  But, as most good friendships go, we soon began to distance ourselves.  Rather, he began to distance himself from me.  Every week, he had different plans, even though we agreed that our normal lunches were always more important than other events, with the exception of weddings and funerals, things such as that. 

                Now, I still missed the man I once believed was the same as a brother to me.  Every week I would call and say I was looking forward to the weekend, and that I had a lot to talk to him about.  But, even when I did meat him, it was not with the same happiness and youthfulness we always had.  We talked of depressing things, dark things, death even.  In fact, I soon began to think my friend had become depressed, to the point where I did not want to be around him.  So, we parted ways, seeing each other very little every year.  As we said goodbye every time, it was as if my heart got heavier as I watched my once great friend fall into a depression.

                So big a hole he left in my heart that I actually felt my breathing become harder, I found that I had a harder time moving around, my pulse even slowed down to a crawl.  I even thought at one point that I too had fallen into a deep depression.  So, I went into my doctor and asked him about the things I felt.  I told him of my friend who had fallen into a depression and how it had affected me, and how I could barely find the energy to rise myself out of bed every day.

                I was diagnosed with depression and given a group of medications I was supposed to take.  At first, I did as my doctor told me, but it had no effect on me.  I was infuriated!  I began to become angry, yelling at people didn’t even know.  I threw things, broke things, and cursed my doctor.  But, gradually, an idea began to creep into my head.  My friend was the reason for my depression!  What a villain was he for giving me this terrible disease!  He is the single reason my life is ruined; the single reason there is a hole in my heart!

                So, the only thing I could do was get rid of this evil man.  So, over the next few days, I gradually made my plan.  I even called my old friend and asked him if he wanted to come over to talk, which he agreed to.  So, my plan was in place.

                As I answered the door to my friend, I looked dead in his eyes.  Shivers went up and down my spine as his dead, dark eyes stared me directly in the face.  I almost felt as if I would just skip my plan and attack him right now.  But, I knew how well my plan would work, so I suppressed my anger.  I brought him into my house; let him sit on my couch.  I went to prepare the drinks.  Oh, it was so exciting!  As I mixed the tea, I slipped in the potion.  Oh, how powerful one liquid could be!  I laughed as I slipped the potion into his drink.  I made sure I did not swap the drinks by accident.  I came into the room and giggled as I saw the oblivious man sitting on the couch.  I gave him his drink and took a sip of mine.  I watched as he took a sip of his drink.  It was obvious that the drink had some effect on him because he cringed after drinking.  But, I felt a strange feeling in my heart.  It began to beat faster, began to hurt a little.  And, as we talked, it began to hurt more and more as my friend’s life began to wither away.

                My friend became very pale.  He became to twitch, move around uncomfortably.  He asked if it was hot, and I agreed that it was, even though I was comfortable.  But, my heart began to hurt more and more.  And, as my old friend began to have trouble breathing, my heart was hurting past the point that I could pretend it’s not.  I grabbed it; felt it beat through my chest.  And, as my old friend fell to the ground, I felt the strangest thing.  For my heart stopped hurting.  In fact, it had completely disappeared.  And as I fell to the ground next to my friend, I felt happier than I ever did before.

 

-Jack