A Collection of the Broken

-A Button-

I can do it though…

Do I deserve a better life?

Yes... of course I do.

His hand is just floating over the button.

Why the heck won’t he press it?

This has been going on for too long.

I bring my head to the microphone.

“You have thirty seconds.”

He looks up in surprise.

His face gets tense, and his eyes show panic.

I frown. He doesn’t know what to do.

I was very clear in my discussion with him. He should have pressed it by now, but he’s just too scared.

I lean closer to the microphone.

“Ten seconds.”

His hand darts from his lap to right above the button.

“Five seconds.”

Oh no.

What should I do?

My body is shaking.

I’m-I’m….

I’m going to press it.

Thud.

His hand pushes down on the button.

“Good. You are now ready to proceed.”

He looks up, searching for me.

“Proceed to what?” he asks.

“To the next room,” I say.

He looks confused.

I say it again, just as I rehearsed.

“You are going to the next testing room.”

I breathe out this next line.

“I warned you.”

“No!"

I jump out of the chair and kick it across the room in a fit of anger.

“Why?!” I scream.

I grab the table by its sides and flip it over, sending the button sprawling onto the floor.

“You told me it would change my life!”

I only hear my shouts and screams of anger as I kick the wall.

The invisible man said into the microphone, just being curious.

“Why are you crying?” He said.

I don’t know why.

It means so much to me. This was my chance- this was a new beginning. A new life. A new start.

Drip. Drip.

The only sounds are of my tears.

“You are staying here and conducting tests. Please proceed to the next room,” He commanded

Tsssssst. A part of the white room slid downwards creating a small doorway.

I close my watery eyes and start walking to next room. I breathe in, trying to hold in and suck all of the emotions I feel.

My life couldn’t get any worse.

I should die.

I should fall to the floor and stop breathing. I should make this man guilty of what he did to me. I should just stop fighting and let darkness surround me.

It is my destiny.

I open my eyes, turn around and walk to the flipped over table.

There it is.

The button is lying there on the floor and it’s not taunting me anymore.

I lean down and put my face over the button.

I look at it for a second and then pull my head back and move my hand to it.

Thud.

I press it.

Thud.

I press it.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I press it again and again.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The button promised a better life.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

And I want a better life so badly.

THUD.

I smack it as hard as I can, one last time, just hoping for a dream.

 “Congratulations,” he told, “You passed.”

“You passed our test.”

Passed what test?

Pssssst.

A tube came out of the ground and trapped me inside it.

Psssst. Tzzzz.

A small, circular platform started to raise me high into the air of the tube.

I looked up.

The tube went up for a long way.

I smiled.

The platform picked up speed and flew up the tube.

The room I was in was long gone, and who knows where I’m going.

I look up again.

There’s a bright light above me, and it’s really high up.

 The platform was now going at a really high speed, the tube around me was now a blur of glassy blue, and the sound was like a small, quiet buzz.

Somehow, I knew I was going to a better life.