The Gate

Tuesday

It started as a normal day. She walked to school, took notes, handed in her homework. It was a normal, normal day.

She  woke up to the ringing of her alarm and got dressed quickly, not really paying attention to what she put on. She brushed her teeth roughly, and ran downstairs, kissing her parents on the cheek and waving to her brothers as she darted out the door.

Tucking her bag under her arm, she hopped onto the bus before it left the stop, smiling at the bus driver.

At school, she went through her normal procedure of scanning her school ID, and then helping out a few teachers before class.

The rest of ths day went by as usual, with no real disruption to the schedule that everyone seemed to follow.

Wake up. Go to school/work. Go home. Work some more. Go to sleep. Rinse and repeat.

She decided to forgo the bus on the way home, choosing instead to accompany a few friends and walk home.

When she arrived at her destination, all was silent and going according to this before mentioned unspoken schedule.

She did her homework, greeted her brothers when they, too, had come hone from school, studied a bit, read a book, greeted her parents when they came home from work.

They ate dinner at the table together silently, all tired from their respective days at school and work. The same, normal day they all had every day.

And once dinner and chores were finished, once again, everyone left to go to bed, with all being well for yet another normal day.

She headed to the bathroom and started the shower, slowly divesting herself of the clothes she had thrown on that morning.

And then there was a change.

A minor, insignificant change in the grand scheme of things, but a major change in the orbit of this family and their neighborhood.

The girl, still unnamed, sat in the tub, ready.

She had nothing left to do. No notes, nothing. She hadn't even truly said goodbye.

And then she slashed her wrists vertically, in one swift, purposeful motion.

She died slowly, water running over her to keep the wounds from closing, no noises being made to indicate any kind of distress.

Her body temperature dropped steadily, skin losing pigment as blood poured down the drain.

The girl died in less than an hour, with a smile on her face.

She died on a Tuesday.

And then she woke up.