Aurora || Parker
"Hello Parker!"
"What would be the least painful way to die?"
"...What?!"
"I can't imagine stabbing myself, honestly. Jumping off of a building or a bridge...might be doable, but it's going to be messy. And I live in New York, so there's no way to avoid people. I don't want to traumatize anybody, you know?"
"Parker!"
"I can't afford lethal drugs either. Besides, those are painful too."
"Parker!"
"Do gunshots kill right away?"
"What the heck!"
"Eh, I guess it depends on where you shoot. I'm not skilled enough for that."
"You are not killing yourself!"
"Actually, I think I am. So, gunshot or hanging? Hanging...seems less painful. Does slitting your wrists hurt too? I never even understood how that could kill you."
"Parker! What-you can't-wha...what are you doing?"
"Just planning, Rorie. Don't worry about it."
"'Don't worry about it?' 'Don't worry about it?!' Of course I'm worried!"
"You're a good friend of mine, I want to involve you in the most important and possibly the last decision of my life."
"You're talking about ending your life as if you were discussing a sandwich order! Are you-Can you even comprehend the sheer enormity of what you're talking about?!"
"Well-"
"No do-overs! No second chance! You're going to leave everyone who loves you!"
One day, this pain will be too much for me take. You understand, right? I'm better off dead."
"No! Stop it!"
"But answer my question. What would be the least painful way to die?"
"Gently passing when you're old and you've lived a long, fulfilling life?!"
"Eh, I don't think I'll make it that far."
"Parker...oh my god..."
"I'm sorry. Nowadays all of my calls just make you sad, don't they?"
"Get a counselor. Please, I'm begging you. I don't want these calls to stop."
"Rorie, I can't."
"You called me trying to reach a suicide hotline. You want to live."
"I did back then. Now..."
"No. Tell me what you've always wanted to do."
"What? Like killing myself? Finally seeing my grandmother again?"
"No! No, no. I mean...before, when you were...happier. When...."
"...I enjoyed living and I didn't have a care in the world? Where I happily frolicked in the flowers and had friends and a family and actually laughed genuinely?"
"Yes. Then."
"That was a long time ago, Aurora."
"...What were your goals? Your dreams?""
"..."
"..."
"...I actually wanted to be a firefighter when I was six."
"Aw, really? How precious!"
"Shut up."
"Anything else?"
"Man, it was a long time ago, but I uh, wanted to meet the entire Yankees team."
" Good, good. And?"
"I wanted to learn to play the guitar. I wanted to ride the tallest rollercoaster in the word, which is Kingda Ka now, I guess. I wanted...want, to go Las Vegas. I want to meet Brendon Urie in person. I want to have a dog."
"You still do."
"Yeah. I-I really do."
"....I knew it."
And...I want to meet you."
"Really? I want to meet you too."
"You do? I was expecting you to say that I was creepy or something."
"No, not at all. I would love to meet you. In New York. Double whammy."
"Heh."
"Get a counselor, Parker. Please. They're professionals. Their jobs are geared to help you. They can help you."
"I don't know...."
"Please? For me?"
"Agh, fine."
"Yay!"
"You're lucky I like you."
"Wait, what was that? I didn't really hear you, you kind of mumbled it."
"...Nothing. Bye."
***Click***
"Wait what?"
"Parker?"
"...He hung up. Unbelievable."
YOU ARE READING
The Suicide Hotline | ✔︎
Short Story"Is this...the...suicide hotline?" "I...um, yes?" "...Are you asking or telling?" "...Telling?" "What would you do if I told you I wanted to die?" "I would beg you not to." "Would you, stranger? Would you really?" "I would." Aurora Glass was raised...
