You sit staring at your best friend, Brendan, with eyes full of concern.
"I can't do it anymore. Every night it's the same: he goes out...or stays in...gets drunk, yells at one of us for whatever reason his intoxicated brain can come up with." Brendan can't make eye contact, keeping his gaze on the gravelly dirt, as if scared of what he's saying. "You have to do what he says, you have to fix whatever it is you didn't do wrong, and if you don't or he's not satisfied with your efforts...he just..."
You put a hand on Brendan's shoulder; he doesn't need to finish the sentence for you to understand.
"I don't know what to do."
You feel almost at a loss for words. You had no idea it was like this and the situation seemed so dire. You want to help Brendan.
[[You need time to come up with a plan to ensure Brendan's safety]]
[[Brendan should leave, he can stay with you]]
[[Brendan should call the police]]
[[Brendan should kill his father, you'll help]]"Don't worry." You pull Brendan into a reassuring hug. "We'll work something out. I'll come up with a plan to get you out of there."
"And in the meantime?" Brendan asks shakily.
You don't like the idea so much but you can think of nothing else. "Just try to bare with it. I'll be as quick as I can."
You continue to talk with Brendan until it is time for you to head home. You tell him to call you if you need anything.
You had lost track of the time and had to rush for the bus but as you reach the bus stop it is already leaving.
[[Walk the 20 minutes home]]
[[Call an Uber, you have a free voucher to use]]"You have to get out of there," you say determinedly. "Come stay with me for a while. You can have the spare room, I'm sure mum and dad won't mind."
Brendan looks conflicted. "What about my mum? She won't want to leave."
You think for a moment.
[[Force her to leave]]
[[Leave alone, call the police later]]"You should call the police," you say, thinking this to be the logical thing to do. "I mean, this sounds bad, you have every right. If he's doing this shit to you and your mum...you can't just sit by and let it happen."
Brendan nods. "It's not like it hasn't crossed my mind." He looks up at the sky, his expression conflicted. "It's just that...ugh I don't know...I guess I'm scared. He's threatened to kill mum when she was on the verge of calling the cops once."
You frown at hearing this. "He's probably just saying that to stop you from doing it. He's your dad, no way would he actually kill you. He's still human, he knows he'll go to jail if he does," you say with conviction, hoping that your confidence will help Brendan feel more reassured.
You look at the time and realise how many hours of study you're losing for your exam on Monday.
[[Stay with Brendan]]
[[Go home to study]]It starts getting dark as you walk home. You try to shake of the unsettled feeling in your stomach but you get the feeling that it's more than just the lack of light eating at you. Across the road, you see a drunk man with an empty alcohol bottle smash it on the fence, swinging the remains around in the air.
[[Call the police]]
[[Call Brendan]]You arrive home and are greeted by the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie.
Everything in the world seems like it will be okay once you've had the delicious food and a warm shower. You get some studying done for the exam you have on Monday and then head to bed.
When you wake up in the morning, you look at your phone and see a message from Brendan.
'I hate this place,' it reads.
You feel a little bit guilty for spending no time thinking about how to help Brendan last night but quickly type a reply. 'Everything's going to be okay. I'm working out a plan. Hang in there.'
You spend most of that day going back and forth between studying for your exam and thinking of ways to help Brendan. You send him a few messages asking his opinion on your ideas but you only recieve short responses.
The following day after lunch, your mother knocks on your door. "Sorry to interrupt...there are police here to see you?"
[[You go to see what the police want]]
[[The thought of frightens you and you decide to lock yourself in your room]]The police tell you not to approach the drunk man, to go straight home and they'll make sure to send someone over to check him out. You give them an approximate address and continue on your way.
You arrive home and are greeted by the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie.
Everything in the world seems like it will be okay once you've had the delicious food and a warm shower. You get some studying done for the exam you have on Monday and then head to bed.
When you wake up in the morning, you look at your phone and see a message from Brendan.
'I hate this place,' it reads.
You feel a little bit guilty for spending no time thinking about how to help Brendan last night but quickly type a reply. 'Everything's going to be okay. I'm working out a plan. Hang in there.'
You spend most of that day going back and forth between studying for your exam and thinking of ways to help Brendan. You send him a few messages asking his opinion on your ideas but you only recieve short responses.
The following day after lunch, your mother knocks on your door. "Sorry to interrupt...there are police here to see you?"
[[You go to see what the police want]]
[[The thought of frightens you and you decide to lock yourself in your room]]You turn around and start walking back the way you came as you dial Brendan's number. He doesn't answer immediately and every second feels like an eternity as you wait to hear his voice.
'Hello?'
You don't understand why but you feel a wave of relief. "I changed my mind, I thought of a better idea...I don't know if you will like it. Where are you?"
There's a pause before Brendan answers. "I missed my bus so I'm walking home."
You almost laugh. "Come stay with me. Just for tonight...tell your dad you're sick or something-or I can tell him for you!"
"What about mum?"
[[You will go to the police tomorrow]]
[[You will go to the police right now]]You feel a slight jolt of nervousness at the thought of police being at your door but follow your mother downstairs, thinking it might be about the drunk man from the other night.
There are two officers in the loungeroom; they look awkward against the comforting warm tones and antiqued furniture.
After some introductions revealing the officer's names as Mark and Suzy, your mother leaves and they tell you that you may want to sit down.
Once you sit down, Suzy pulled holds out an envelope in a plastic ziplock bag with your name scribbled on it.
"What's this?" you ask, but for some reason that uneasy feeling from when you walked home the other night has returned.
Suzy takes a breath and hands you an A4 piece of paper with photocopied handwriting on it. It's smudged in sections but you recognise the delicate flow of the letters immediately as belonging to Brendan.
"I'm afraid we have some sad news for you..."
Suzy's words fade away as you read Brendan's letter.
'I tried to wait, I really did. I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry, I don't want to disappoint you and I know you've been trying so hard to help me. You're the greatest friend anyone could hope....'
You hide your face in your hand as the first tear falls onto the page, unable to continue reading. A wave of guilt and regret wash over you. You can't change the past, your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]The police come up to your room and speak to you through the door.
"You're not in trouble, we just want to talk, can you please open the door?" It's a woman voice and she sounds honest.
[[Open the door]]
[[Keep the door locked]]The end is inevitable. Sometimes there's never a right way. Sometimes there's only one right way. You open the door, feeling a little silly about your initial response. You haven't done anything wrong so of course they're not here to arrest you.
You follow the two officers down to the loungeroom and after some introductions revealing the officer's names as Mark and Suzy, your mother leaves and they tell you that you may want to sit down.
Once you sit down, Suzy holds out an envelope in a plastic ziplock bag with your name scribbled on it.
"What's this?" you ask, but for some reason that uneasy feeling from when you walked home the other night has returned.
Suzy takes a breath and hands you an A4 piece of paper with photocopied handwriting on it. It's smudged in sections but you recognise the delicate flow of the letters immediately as belonging to Brendan.
"I'm afraid we have some sad news for you..."
Suzy's words fade away as you read Brendan's letter.
'I tried to wait, I really did. I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry, I don't want to disappoint you and I know you've been trying so hard to help me. You're the greatest friend anyone could hope....'
You hide your face in your hand as the first tear falls onto the page, unable to continue reading. A wave of guilt and regret wash over you. You can't change the past, your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]You hear a very audible sigh on the other side of the door.
"I'm Sergeant Suzy and with me is Senior Constable Marcus-"
"You can call me Mark," interrupts a man's voice.
There's a pause before Suzy speaks again. "This would be much easier if you could come out. I'm going to slip something under the door to help you understand the situation."
A piece of A4 paper slowly moves under your door and quietly tiptoe over and pick it up to read.
"What's this?" you ask, but that uneasy feeling from when you walked home the other night has returned. The delicately flowing letters on the page are immediately recognisable to you as Brendan's handwriting.
Suzy takes a breath. "I'm afraid we have some sad news for you..."
Suzy's words fade away as you read Brendan's letter.
'I tried to wait, I really did. I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry, I don't want to disappoint you and I know you've been trying so hard to help me. You're the greatest friend anyone could hope....'
You hide your face in your hand as the first tear falls onto the page, unable to continue reading. A wave of guilt and regret wash over you. You can't change the past, your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]"It's okay, we will go to the police first thing tomorrow."
Brendan seems uncertain but you eventually convince him. You meet up and book an Uber with the voucher and you both go back to your house. On the way you text your mother to let her know Brendan needs somewhere to stay and you've offered up the spare room. Your mother is a little frustrated you didn't ask her first but overall is accepting.
When you arrive, the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie welcomes you in.
With good food in your stomach and the knowledge that your best friend is safe, you go to sleep feeling that everything is going to be okay.
The following morning, Brendan recieves a phone call from the police. His mother is in hospital and she's not doing well. Brendan's father was furious that he hadn't come home and took his anger out on Brendan's mother. The neighbours had called the police who discovered the situation and arrested Brendan's father.
Brendan's mother doesn't survive. You can't help but feel guilty that you didn't go to the police sooner and you get the feeling Brendan blames you too because he doesn't talk to you for a week.
One morning you wake up and find a folded piece of paper with your name on it placed neatly on your bedside table. You recognise the delicately flowing letters as Brendan's handwriting immediately. As you read, your stomach drops.
'I'm sorry, I don't want to disappoint you and I know you've been trying so hard to help me. You're the greatest friend anyone could hope for. I don't blame you, I know you've been worried about that. A part of me knows that this is no one's fault, the only one to blame is the person I called "dad" for so long. But I can't help think I could've stopped it....'
You hide your face in your hand as the first tear falls onto the page, unable to continue reading. A wave of guilt and regret wash over you. You can't change the past, your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]"I'm going to call an uber, let's go to the police."
Brendan seems hesitant about the idea of going to the police but agrees once you reassure him that you'll help as much as you can and will be with him the whole time.
The uber arrives and you climb in the back asking the driver to pick up Brendan before asking to be taken to the police station.
You message your mum and briefly explain why you won't be home for a while and she texts back saying she understands and she's proud of you for helping your friend.
The meeting with the police is hard for Brendan but ultimately it goes well. After a number of hours at the police station, you're instructed to take Brendan home to your house and the police would go to Brendan's house.
Eventually, Brendan's father is arrested. His mother is distraught but they both recieve support from a mental health professional and social workers.
You're thankful for the strength your friend has shown in getting through this difficult ordeal and Brendan is greatful for your unwavering support.
[[The End]]"Just find some way to make her come with you, whatever you can think of," you say. It'd be for her own good, surely she couldn't object.
Brendan still looks uncertain but eventually nods and agrees.
"Okay, let's go home for now. When will you come over?" you ask so that you can prepare your parents.
"Maybe tomorrow? Or if that-"
"Yes, tomorrow, come tomorrow," you interrupt. The sooner he gets out of that place the better.
You hug Brendan before you both go your separate ways.
You catch the bus home feeling mentally exhausted and can't shake the nervousness you feel for your friend. You wonder if this was the right thing to do. Would his mother make it hard for him?
You arrive home and are greeted by the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie.
[[Skip dinner, go to bed and stay up all night worrying about Brendan]]
[[Eat dinner, because you love shepherd's pie]]"We will go to the police in the morning. It'll be one night, go home, grab some extra clothes or anything else you need and come over right away."
Brendan seems uncertain but you are able to convince him that everything will be okay and you embrace him reassuringly before parting ways.
You catch the bus home feeling mentally exhausted and can't shake the nervousness you feel for your friend. You wonder if this was the right thing to do, whether it you should've told him to talk his mother into coming.
When you arrive home, you explain the situation to your parents and while your father doesn't say much more than "okay", your mother goes into this long speach about how you've shown such innitiative in helping your friend and she's so proud of you and of course he can use the spare room and "does he like shepherds pie?"
While you sit in the loungeroom waiting, it begins to rain outside. You hear thunder in the distance and the street outside is occassionally lit up by flashes of lightning. You start feeling a little worried as the rain becomes heavier and wind begins to howl.
You decide to text Brendan.
[[Brendan should wait for the storm to pass and maybe come over in the morning]]
[[Brendan should drive carefully on his way over]]After only a couple hours of sleep, you wake up in the morning, you look at your phone immediately to see a message from Brendan.
'She wouldn't come with me so I had to force her but I don't know if it's a good idea to come straight over to your place. She's pretty angry.'
As you start to wonder how Brendan managed to force his mother to leave, you realise that suggesting "whatever you can think of" may not have been the best idea.
You call Brendan immediately, every second feels like an eternitey as you wait to hear his voice.
'Hello...'
"Brendan! I just saw your message, what is going on?" you demand to know.
You hear an irritated voice in the background ask who Brendan is speaking to.
'Whoever it is, it can wait. Just wait until your father finds out-'
"Brendan, is everything okay?"
'Yeah, sorry, I'll call you later.'
You stare dumbfounded at your phone trying to work out what to do.
[[Call the cops]]
[[Wait for Brendan call back]]Everything in the world seems like it will be okay once you've had the delicious food and a warm shower. You get some studying done for the exam you have on Monday and then head to bed.
When you wake up in the morning, you look at your phone and see a message from Brendan.
'She wouldn't come with me so I had to force her but I don't know if it's a good idea to come straight over to your place. She's pretty angry.'
As you start to wonder how Brendan managed to force his mother to leave, you realise that suggesting "whatever you can think of" may not have been the best idea.
You call Brendan immediately, every second feels like an eternitey as you wait to hear his voice.
'Hello...'
"Brendan! I just saw your message, what is going on?" you demand to know.
You hear an irritated voice in the background ask who Brendan is speaking to.
'Whoever it is, it can wait. Just wait until your father finds out-'
"Brendan, is everything okay?"
'Yeah, sorry, I'll call you later.'
You stare dumbfounded at your phone trying to work out what to do.
[[Call the cops]]
[[Wait for Brendan call back]]You call the cops and explain that you're worried Brendan is going to get hurt. You explain as much as you can as quickly as you can, hoping that the police might get to Brendan before his father finds out anything and gets angry.
The police tell you they will call you later and inform you that officers have been sent to investigate.
You spend the rest of the day fretting about whether you made the right decision. You haven't heard from Brendan or the police and it's almost 4pm.
At 4:30pm, you finally recieve a phone call but your heart skips a beat as the person speaks.
You rush downstairs to tell your mum that Brendan is in critical condition in hospital and she must take you to see him now.
It's already to late when you finally arrive at the hospital. Brendan has already past and rushes of regret and guilt wash over you.
You discover that Brendan's father was furious about his attempt to leave and take his mother with him and the arrival of the police only infuriated him further as he thought it was Brendan's doing. By the time the police were able to get inside, Brendan was lying on the floor, the broken wine bottle his father had used to stab him rolling around nearby.
Endless 'what-ifs' race through your mind but you can't change the past. Your friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]You spend the rest of the day fretting about whether you made the right decision. You haven't heard from Brendan and it's almost 4pm.
At 4:30pm, you finally recieve a phone call but your heart skips a beat as the person speaks.
You rush downstairs to tell your mum that Brendan is in critical condition in hospital and she must take you to see him now.
It's already too late when you finally arrive at the hospital. Brendan has already past and rushes of regret and guilt wash over you.
You discover that Brendan's father was furious about his attempt to leave and take his mother with him. His neighbours had heard a commotion and called the police but the arrival of the police only infuriated his father further as he thought it was Brendan's doing. By the time the police were able to get inside, Brendan was lying on the floor, the broken wine bottle his father had used to stab him rolling around nearby.
Endless 'what-ifs' race through your mind but you can't change the past. Your friend is gone forever. 'It's pretty crazy out there. Maybe you should wait till this storm passes.'
You hug your knees to your chest as you wait for a response. A few moments later your phone buzzes and you check to see what Brendan has said.
'I'm on my way, don't worry, I'll be careful.'
You stare out the window with concern deciding against texting back so you don't distract Brendan while he's driving.
Thirty minutes pass and Brendan still hasn't arrived. He doesn't live very far, it's usually a twenty minute drive.
You tell yourself that he's probably driving slow because of the storm but you can't shake this dreadful feeling away and the minutes creep by with no sign of Brendan. After an hour, you try calling him but there's no response and you start to panic. You ask your mum what to do but she doesn't have anything helpful to say.
[[Call police]]
[[Convince mum to take you out to find Brendan]]
'How are you doing? Make sure you drive carefully, it's pretty crazy out there.'
You hug your knees to your chest as you wait for a response. A few moments later your phone buzzes and you check to see what Brendan has said.
'I'm on my way, don't worry, I'll be careful.'
Thirty minutes pass and Brendan still hasn't arrived. He doesn't live very far, it's usually a twenty minute drive.
You tell yourself that he's probably driving slow because of the storm but you can't shake this dreadful feeling away and the minutes creep by with no sign of Brendan. After an hour, you try calling him but there's no response and you start to panic. You ask your mum what to do but she doesn't have anything helpful to say.
[[Call police]]
[[Convince mum to take you out to find Brendan]]
You decide to call the police. You speak to a man named Mark who is very sympathetic and does not make you feel silly for calling the police. He asks where Brendan lives and where you live, what time you were expecting him before taking down your details and letting you know they'll call you when they have further information.
[[Stay up and wait to hear from police]]
[[Go to bed and wait to hear from police]]It takes a while for you to convince your mum to take you to look for Brendan but eventually she agrees and you both get in the car.
"This is absolutely ridiculous, it's a bloody cyclone out there or something," your mum says as the garage door opens.
"Just be quick, please."
"You're going to have to accept that we aren't getting anywhere quickly in this-this...this deluge!" she exclaimed, emphasising the point by gesturing out the window.
You don't get far however before the road is blocked by police.
Your mum winds down her window as the officer approaches. "What's happened?" she asks.
"There's been a big accident up ahead," the officer explains.
Your stomach flips. You can't help but think of how Brendan hasn't been answering your calls.
[[Question the policeman]]
[[Don't say anything]]It's late when you finally get the call from the police. It's Mark again but you know something is wrong by the tone of his voice. He edges around the point for a while, making you more anxious and then he finally says it.
There was a terrible accident earlier that night. Visibility was low and it was very bad weather. Brendan lost control of his vehicle and the truck driver didn't see him until it was too late.
You try your best to control yourself as you finish up the conversation and thank the officer for calling.
For some reason, one the phone is out of your hand, you can't cry anymore even though you want to. You bury your face in your hands, waves of disbelief, followed by regret and guilt wash over you. Endless "what-ifs" rush through your mind but you can't change the past. Your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]It's late when the call from the police wakes you up. It's Mark again but you know something is wrong by the tone of his voice. He edges around the point for a while, making you more anxious and then he finally says it.
There was a terrible accident earlier that night. Visibility was low and it was very bad weather. Brendan lost control of his vehicle and the truck driver didn't see him until it was too late.
You try your best to control yourself as you finish up the conversation and thank the officer for calling.
For some reason, one the phone is out of your hand, you can't cry anymore even though you want to. You bury your face in your hands, waves of disbelief, followed by regret and guilt wash over you. Endless "what-ifs" rush through your mind but you can't change the past. Your best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]"What kind of accident?"
"Car and a truck, they're clearing everything up right now but this weather is making things hard."
"My gosh, is everyone okay?" your mother asks and the officer shakes her head solemnly.
"Poor young man in the car didn't make it. Witnesses say they reckon he lost control of the vehicle and the truck driver says he didn't see him till it was too late."
"What was his name?!" I barely stop myself from shouting at the officer.
"Uh...
"Was it Brendan? Brendan Stevenson?"
The police officer looks caught off-guard by my questioning.
"Licence plate CA04JD. He's my friend, he was supposed to come over to my house tonight, he hasn't been answering-"
The officer holds up her hand to stop you before lifting her radio. "This is Seargant Suzy, I have a young woman here looking for a friend named Brendan Stevenson, license plate CA..."
"-04JD," you offer.
"04JD. Did we get the details for the fatality?" Suzy turned away as the radio crackled to life, making it hard to hear what was said. She thanked the officer on the other end before turning back. Her expression was sympathetic and all of a sudden, you didn't want to know what she was going to say. "I'm sorry..."
The shock hits you hard, waves of disbelief, regret, and guilt wash over you. Endless "what-ifs" rush through your mind but you can't change the past. You're best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]You sit silently as your mother talks to the officer who then direct you both to make your way home.
"Oh, just before we go, we came out to look for a friend named Brendan Stevenson. He was supposed to come and stay over for the night but didn't show up and hasn't been answering his phone," you mum says as the officer reaches for her radio. "He was on the road to us when we last heard from him, that's why we came out in the first place."
The officer nods. "This is Seargant Suzy, I have a woman and her daughter here looking for a friend named Brendan Stevenson-"
"License plate CA04JD," you blurt out suddenly.
The officer pauses for a moment before relaying this information. "Did we get the details for the fatality?" Suzy turns away as the radio crackles to life, making it hard to hear what was said. She thanks the officer on the other end before turning back. Her expression is sympathetic and all of a sudden, you don't want to know what she has to say. "I'm sorry..."
The shock hits you hard, waves of disbelief, regret, and guilt wash over you. Endless "what-ifs" rush through your mind but you can't change the past. You're best friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]You decide you should stay with Brendan until he wants to go. You need to study but it can wait.
Brendan sighs and looks up at the clouds in the sky. "It's getting late, we should go home. It looks like there's a storm coming, it might start raining soon," he says, almost as if reading your mind.
You wrap your arm around Brendan and give him what you hope is a reassuring hug. "Will you be okay?"
Brendan nods and thanks you for listening to him. "Sorry I took up so much of your time, I know you have that exam on Monday."
You shake your head, feeling a little guilty that maybe he picked up on your anxiousness for the passing time. "It's good that you told me, I imagine it was hard for you. If you need anything, let me know."
You say your goodbyes and go your separate ways.
You catch the bus home feeling mentally exhausted and can't shake the nervousness you feel for your friend. You wonder if this was the right thing to do.
You arrive home to the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie. Everything seems more hopeful onces you're full of good food and have had a nice warm shower. You sit down at your desk and study for a few hours before deciding to go to sleep.
[[Go to sleep]]
[[Stay awake texting Brendan for an extra hour to make sure he's okay]]You don't want to seem like a bad friend but for now you feel you've done all you can for Brendan. You have to think about your own problems too and this exam is important. You look up at the cloudy sky. "It's getting late, we should go home. It looks like there's a storm coming, it might start raining soon." You wrap your arm around Brendan and give him what you hope is a reassuring hug. "Will you be okay?"
Brendan nods and thanks you for listening to him. "Sorry I took up so much of your time, I know you have that exam on Monday."
You shake your head, feeling a little guilty. "It's good that you told me, I imagine it was hard for you. If you need anything, let me know."
You say your goodbyes and go your separate ways.
You catch the bus home feeling mentally exhausted and can't shake the nervousness you feel for your friend. You wonder if this was the right thing to do.
You arrive home to the smell of freshly baked shepherds pie. Everything seems more hopeful onces you're full of good food and have had a nice warm shower. You sit down at your desk and study for a few hours before deciding to go to sleep.
[[Go to sleep]]
[[Stay awake texting Brendan for an extra hour to make sure he's okay]]You wake up late the next day and curse yourself for the wasted time you could've spent studying. You check your phone and see 4 messages from Brendan, 2 from last night after you went to sleep and 2 from early in the morning.
You ignore the first two and read the ones from that morning.
'Mum spilt dad's coffee' and then 20 minutes later 'He's out of control again, I'm going to try call the cops'. You look at the time and feel a bit concerned when you realise the message was received over 3 hours ago and there was no other attempt at contact.
You try calling Brendan but there's no answer. You try 3 more times but to no avail. You dash downstairs, phone grasped tightly in your hand and find your mum who is sitting on her laptop at the table. "Mum, Brendan's not answering his phone. I'm really worried can you take me to check on him?"
"He could just be in the shower, no need to panic, I'm sure he'll reply when he gets a chance."
"Look." You hold your phone out to your mum, displaying the messages on the screen from Brendan. "That was over 3 hours ago."
Your mum is just about to speak when your phone starts ringing. You feel momentary relief but it dies away when you see the caller is not Brendan.
[[Answer the phone]]
[[Don't answer]]You stay up until 1am texting Brendan, making sure he's okay until eventually you can't hold your phone up any longer.
'Lmao I just dropped my phone on my face, it's time to sleep. Everything's going to be ok, I'll always be here for you. Luv u m8.'
You wait for the response.
'Hahaha go to sleep, I said I'm fine. Luv u2.'
You wake up late the next day and curse yourself for the wasted time you could've spent studying. You check your phone and see 2 messages from Brendan sent early in the morning.
'Mum spilt dad's coffee' and then 20 minutes later 'He's out of control again, I'm going to try calling the cops'. You look at the time and feel a bit concerned when you realise the message was received over 3 hours ago and there was no other attempt at contact.
You try calling Brendan but there's no answer. You try 3 more times but to no avail. You dash downstairs, phone grasped tightly in your hand and find your mum who is sitting on her laptop at the table. "Mum, Brendan's not answering his phone. I'm really worried can you take me to check on him?"
"He could just be in the shower, no need to panic, I'm sure he'll reply when he gets a chance."
"Look." You hold your phone out to your mum, displaying the messages on the screen from Brendan. "That was over 3 hours ago."
Your mum is just about to speak when your phone starts ringing. You feel momentary relief but it dies away when you see the caller is not Brendan.
[[Answer the phone]]
[[Don't answer]]You answer the call and the familiar voice of a woman speaks.
"I saw you called Brendan a few times," the woman said in a shaky voice. "We're at the hospital, you might want to come quickly, he's not doing so well. They said it would be okay for you to visit." She chokes out the final words, eventually losing control of her voice and a sob escapes.
"I'm coming, I'm coming right now, Mrs Stevenson," you say desparately before hanging up the phone. "We need to go to the hospital now."
Your mum doesn't question it until you get in the car. You're trying desparately to hold back tears.
When you arrive at the hospital, you're met by Brendan's distraugt mother; you're too late. A wave of regret and guilt rush over you and you hear how furious Brendan's father was when the cops arrived. By the time the police were able to get inside, Brendan was lying on the floor, the broken wine bottle his father had used to stab him rolling around nearby.
Endless 'what-ifs' race through your mind but you can't change the past. Your friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]You deny the call in case Brendan tries to call.
"Who was that?" your mother asks.
You shrug as your screen lights up with a text.
'This is Brendan's mum. I'll try calling again.'
You quickly answer as your phone rings again. "Hello? Sorry, I didn't recognise your number."
"It's okay. I saw you called Brendan a few times," Brendan's mum says in a shaky voice. "We're at the hospital, you might want to come quickly, he's not doing so well. They said it would be okay for you to visit." She chokes out the final words, eventually losing control of her voice and a sob escapes.
"I'm coming, I'm coming right now, Mrs Stevenson," you say desparately before hanging up the phone. "We need to go to the hospital now."
Your mum doesn't question it until you get in the car. You're trying desparately to hold back tears.
When you arrive at the hospital, you're met by Brendan's distraugt mother; you're too late. A wave of regret and guilt rush over you and you hear how furious Brendan's father was when the cops arrived. By the time the police were able to get inside, Brendan was lying on the floor, the broken wine bottle his father had used to stab him rolling around nearby.
Endless 'what-ifs' race through your mind but you can't change the past. Your friend is gone forever.
[[The End]]