Chapter 5: Silence

'Certainly, there's no way this could go on for over forty-nine days, right...?' Erika thought as she approached the door to the roof. Hesitantly, she opened the door and saw a young boy standing without his shoes, looking outward with a dead look in his eyes. "Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" Erika yelled. 'God, here we go again... Why do I even care anymore!?' She wondered angrily as she calmly approached the railing next to him.

"Hello." He said blandly.

"Gonna answer my question?" She asked blandly.

"Fine, I guess..." He said. "I plan to die today." He stated without a change in his tone.

"And why is that?" Erika asked as she leaned against the railing just like she had for the last month and a half.

"Nobody pays any attention to me. At home, school, my supposed friends... They all ignore me. I figured if nobody even notices my existence, then there'd be nothing wrong with just disappearing." He spoke as he climbed onto the railing.

"That so?" She asked blandly as she turned around and leaned her back against the railing.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Do you have food on the table every day? Clothes on your back?" She asked. He thought for a moment.

"Yes." He responded as he sat on the railing.

"Do you think that if you were really ignored, you would have that?" She asked. He thought on her words for a few moments.

"I suppose not..." He spoke in a mumble. She nodded.

'That's because you don't actually know what it means to get ignored...' She thought to herself as her stomach growled quietly. "So, what do you think the real problem is? Why don't you get as much attention as others?" She asked.

"I'm not sure..." He said.

"If that's the case, then I have a question." Erika said.

"What is it?" He asked.

"How often do you give your input or start a conversation?" She asked.

"Yeah... I guess that makes sense..." He mumbled as her words resonated in his mind. "Thanks." He said as he got back onto the roof and walked away.

'Stupid kid ruined the mood...' She thought as she looked out onto the horizon. 'I guess there's always tomorrow...' She continued. her stomach growled. 'I should find something to eat in the meantime...' She thought as she walked to the door.