Gordo peered over the ledge.
Whoa, it's a long ways down . . .
He was sitting on the edge of a 100 foot rooftop, his feet dangling in the midnight air. He sat there, waiting and daydreaming.
What's death going to be like, he wondered.
Is it going to be like absolute nothingness? When I die, am I no longer going to exist? That's kinda scary, except not really, if you think about it. If death is like pure nothingness, then death is just like when you're asleep. When you're sleeping, you don't realize you're sleeping, you don't really exist at all, so there's no *you* to think about the fact you're dead. You know?
"Yes, Gordo, I do know."
Gordo turned around to see Death standing right behind him.
Death stood eight feet tall. She was cloaked and hooded completely in blackness, so the only feature of her face that he could see was her piercing crimson eyes.
"Think about it, Gordo, just jump off the ledge and life will be so much easier for you. So, why not? You'll have no more worries about life, about school, about parents, about teachers, about students, about grades, about all the intense pressures of life. Jump into my arms, and you'll have no worries at all, anymore. Forever."
Death paused for a moment, then said, "Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Gordo stared blankly at Death. "yeah, it sounds great, except . . ."
"except what?"
"Except for one thing. Except for one person." Ohmigod, I'll miss her so much when I die, thought Gordo.
"But, she's the main reason you want to end it all in the first place! How long can you live longing for a girl that will never want you the way you want her? It's just pure torture, wanting something, someone, that you just can't have. And I know it's even more painful because you're her best friend. Because you're so close, yet so far. I know the pain that resides deep inside of your heart, Gordo."
"Yeah, I-I-"
"So, just end it all, and all the pain will disappear, I promise you," replied Death. "Jump. Just jump."
"You're right. I should-- I should end it all. I mean, what's the point of life? You know? What's the point of living? You live just so that you can die? It doesn't make any sense at all. If there's a god, that god is one cruel, sadistic animal."
Gordo continued. "I've been on this earth for only 18 years now, I should be looking forward to the rest of my life, but all I can picture in my head is a future of dread, darkness, pain, suffering, misery, and, worst of all, loneliness."
He broke down sobbing at the thought of the piercing, all encompassing feelings of loneliness that have haunted him for as long as he could remember.
"Oh my god, I'm so lonely, I feel so alone. I can't take this anymore, I can't take my life anymore, I just can't, it's so hard, you know?"
"So, then, jump. That'll end all your pain, that'll end all your suffering," replied Death in a cold, but curiously soothing monotone voice. "Let death consume you, let death embrace you, let death love you, let death become you, let death into your life."
Death paused for a moment, then she continued. "Please, come to me, leap into my arms, come into my embrace and I promise you, I'll make your pain go away, forever."
It makes so much sense. Death's right, I should jump, I should throw my soul into oblivion. It can't be any worse than the daily suffering I endure now. Right?
"Jump, Gordo, jump. Do it, do it, now," urged Death.
"oh-okay," Gordo responded.
Gordo looked down at the hard concrete 100 feet below. The street was empty except for a few parked cars.
He turned around and looked back at Death, and asked, "Will it hurt?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Man, that pavement looks awfully hard."
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. I promise. Your entry into the realm of the dead will be instantaneous."
"You sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Believe me, I know."
"Well. . ."
"Please trust me," Death softly asked.
"Alright, since you're so insistent about it, I'll trust you."
As Gordo was about to leap off the ledge, suddenly image after image began flashing in his head.
His mind was suddenly bombarded with memories of his past, with memories of his childhood, with memories of his parents, with memories of his friends, with memories in particular of one person, of one girl, of one woman . . .with memories of one Lizzie McGuire.
Whoa . . .
"Lizzie . . . ." whispered Gordo. "I'm gonna miss you so much . . . ."
"Then don't jump, Gordo!"
"Wha-?"
Gordo turned around over his left shoulder, to see an angelic figure standing right next to Death. "Then don't jump! Don't listen to Death, don't listen to her," implored the woman bathed in luminous light.
He felt dumbfounded. He gazed into her crystal blue eyes, mesmerized. She's so beautiful . . . .
"Are you-are you--an-angel?"
"I am what your heart desires, Gordo. I'm what you need, I'm what you want from deep down inside of your soul. You called me here, David, and that's why I've come, that's why I'm here . . . I'm here to protect you, to guide you, to love you, to be with you. I'm here, for you," she whispered in a soft, nurturing, melodic voice.
"Don't listen to her, Gordo!!" screamed Death. "Don't trust her, don't believe anything she's telling you. She's just promising you nothing but a lifetime of suffering and pain. Don't, don't listen to her!"
Gordo looked at Death, and then looked at the Angel. He felt confused, torn, unsure about what to do, about what to believe, about whom to believe.
Death seemed so inviting to him just a few moments ago, but now, with the Angel's reassuring, comforting words, he began to think, maybe, just maybe, his life doesn't have to be one filled with misery, loneliness, and unrequited longing.
But, how's my life going to change? What's going to change? Nothing, nothing's going to change. Lizzie's never going to love me the way I love her, I'm never going to stop feeling this deep, bottomless pit of emptiness, so, so, maybe Death's right, maybe I should let go into death, maybe I should let go into eternal sleep.
I don't know . . . .
Whoa, it's a long ways down . . .
He was sitting on the edge of a 100 foot rooftop, his feet dangling in the midnight air. He sat there, waiting and daydreaming.
What's death going to be like, he wondered.
Is it going to be like absolute nothingness? When I die, am I no longer going to exist? That's kinda scary, except not really, if you think about it. If death is like pure nothingness, then death is just like when you're asleep. When you're sleeping, you don't realize you're sleeping, you don't really exist at all, so there's no *you* to think about the fact you're dead. You know?
"Yes, Gordo, I do know."
Gordo turned around to see Death standing right behind him.
Death stood eight feet tall. She was cloaked and hooded completely in blackness, so the only feature of her face that he could see was her piercing crimson eyes.
"Think about it, Gordo, just jump off the ledge and life will be so much easier for you. So, why not? You'll have no more worries about life, about school, about parents, about teachers, about students, about grades, about all the intense pressures of life. Jump into my arms, and you'll have no worries at all, anymore. Forever."
Death paused for a moment, then said, "Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Gordo stared blankly at Death. "yeah, it sounds great, except . . ."
"except what?"
"Except for one thing. Except for one person." Ohmigod, I'll miss her so much when I die, thought Gordo.
"But, she's the main reason you want to end it all in the first place! How long can you live longing for a girl that will never want you the way you want her? It's just pure torture, wanting something, someone, that you just can't have. And I know it's even more painful because you're her best friend. Because you're so close, yet so far. I know the pain that resides deep inside of your heart, Gordo."
"Yeah, I-I-"
"So, just end it all, and all the pain will disappear, I promise you," replied Death. "Jump. Just jump."
"You're right. I should-- I should end it all. I mean, what's the point of life? You know? What's the point of living? You live just so that you can die? It doesn't make any sense at all. If there's a god, that god is one cruel, sadistic animal."
Gordo continued. "I've been on this earth for only 18 years now, I should be looking forward to the rest of my life, but all I can picture in my head is a future of dread, darkness, pain, suffering, misery, and, worst of all, loneliness."
He broke down sobbing at the thought of the piercing, all encompassing feelings of loneliness that have haunted him for as long as he could remember.
"Oh my god, I'm so lonely, I feel so alone. I can't take this anymore, I can't take my life anymore, I just can't, it's so hard, you know?"
"So, then, jump. That'll end all your pain, that'll end all your suffering," replied Death in a cold, but curiously soothing monotone voice. "Let death consume you, let death embrace you, let death love you, let death become you, let death into your life."
Death paused for a moment, then she continued. "Please, come to me, leap into my arms, come into my embrace and I promise you, I'll make your pain go away, forever."
It makes so much sense. Death's right, I should jump, I should throw my soul into oblivion. It can't be any worse than the daily suffering I endure now. Right?
"Jump, Gordo, jump. Do it, do it, now," urged Death.
"oh-okay," Gordo responded.
Gordo looked down at the hard concrete 100 feet below. The street was empty except for a few parked cars.
He turned around and looked back at Death, and asked, "Will it hurt?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Man, that pavement looks awfully hard."
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. I promise. Your entry into the realm of the dead will be instantaneous."
"You sure about that?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Believe me, I know."
"Well. . ."
"Please trust me," Death softly asked.
"Alright, since you're so insistent about it, I'll trust you."
As Gordo was about to leap off the ledge, suddenly image after image began flashing in his head.
His mind was suddenly bombarded with memories of his past, with memories of his childhood, with memories of his parents, with memories of his friends, with memories in particular of one person, of one girl, of one woman . . .with memories of one Lizzie McGuire.
Whoa . . .
"Lizzie . . . ." whispered Gordo. "I'm gonna miss you so much . . . ."
"Then don't jump, Gordo!"
"Wha-?"
Gordo turned around over his left shoulder, to see an angelic figure standing right next to Death. "Then don't jump! Don't listen to Death, don't listen to her," implored the woman bathed in luminous light.
He felt dumbfounded. He gazed into her crystal blue eyes, mesmerized. She's so beautiful . . . .
"Are you-are you--an-angel?"
"I am what your heart desires, Gordo. I'm what you need, I'm what you want from deep down inside of your soul. You called me here, David, and that's why I've come, that's why I'm here . . . I'm here to protect you, to guide you, to love you, to be with you. I'm here, for you," she whispered in a soft, nurturing, melodic voice.
"Don't listen to her, Gordo!!" screamed Death. "Don't trust her, don't believe anything she's telling you. She's just promising you nothing but a lifetime of suffering and pain. Don't, don't listen to her!"
Gordo looked at Death, and then looked at the Angel. He felt confused, torn, unsure about what to do, about what to believe, about whom to believe.
Death seemed so inviting to him just a few moments ago, but now, with the Angel's reassuring, comforting words, he began to think, maybe, just maybe, his life doesn't have to be one filled with misery, loneliness, and unrequited longing.
But, how's my life going to change? What's going to change? Nothing, nothing's going to change. Lizzie's never going to love me the way I love her, I'm never going to stop feeling this deep, bottomless pit of emptiness, so, so, maybe Death's right, maybe I should let go into death, maybe I should let go into eternal sleep.
I don't know . . . .