It was ironic, living for her twenty-first birthday. Glancing at the gun sitting innocently on her pillow, Sal knew what she was thinking about was wrong. Sal knew her friends and family would mourn for her, but she was just so tired. Tired of how she was to die, trying to save the world, how she would die on the eve of her sixteenth birthday.
Sal thought of the friends she lost, lost in a war fought by children, dying for a cause she didn't believe in. How could she believe in a cause, in leaders that will let children fight for them. Sal knew that the people she didn't lose would be angry with her, Hell she would be angry with herself. Touching the cold metal of the gun, Sal thought of Conner and Daniel, twins that Sal knew she could go to if she was ever feeling down.
Sal remembered seeing their bodies for the first time. The feeling of hopelessness and grief, making focusing difficult. Picking the gun up, Sal thought of Thess, her best friend. Thess was one of the first losses of the war, causing Sal to differ from the fun loving girl she was into a no nonsense general.
Looking at the piece of paper lying innocently on her duvets, the note telling people why, why she was doing this. Picking up the gun lying under her hand, checking, hoping it's loaded and points it under her chin-she hears the sound of laughter heading towards her cabin.
"Come on guys, it's her birthday," a voice calls out, sounding as if the person is right outside her door. Frozen, Sal can't do a single thing to hide the guy as her door opens, admitting at least five people, stopping in shock at the sight of the gun in her hands.
"uh, hey guys," Sal hesitantly uttered, waving meekly. Damnit, Sal forgot, every year the survivors all got together, remembering the fallen, toasting the living. Knowing she wouldn't pull the trigger, Sal lowered the gun, lowered but not dropped.
"Sal," said Jack, at one point the boyfriend of Thess, "give me the gun, Sal." he said, moisture collecting at the edge of his eyes. Knowing if she opened her mouth Sal would break down into tears, instead she silently shook her head. Looking at the four other people in the room, each and every one of them with tears in their eyes. Sal couldn't take it and burst into harsh sobs, shoving the gun into the hands of Jack.
"I'm so sorry," Sal sobbed out, "I, I'm just so tired." she hiccuped. Having given the gun to Tal, Sal younger brother, Jack opened his arms, hugging the girl, nodding as Sal told him everything, how she thought of all of her fallen friends, how they died in a war being fought by children. She told Jack how she lost hope, fighting for the leaders, that made children fight wars for them. Sal told Jack how lucky he was to have had Thess, how she missed her best friend. Jack sat, rocking Sal, telling her that while not everything would be perfect, things would get better.
Years later, Sal would glance at the note, framed on her mantel, and think back to that moment in time. Sal had never thought she would live past twenty-one, planning to take her own life, that was until Jack, Tal and her friends walked in, showing her that she still had something to fight for. So she fought, she fought for her little brother, who would be saddened with her death. Sal fought for Jack, who would have lost the last link he had to the love of his life. Finally, Sal fought for the memory`s of her passed friends, knowing how Thess, and Conner and Daniel would feel if she gave up fighting. So Sal fought, Sal lived, and she did all this for the memory of her friends.
AN: Okay so this was a little something I did for the bell Let's Talk day.