Ryan jumps off the Thor Peak cliff, not being able to return home to his parents. A Sig Sauer P320 lays on the edge of the cliff, right where Ryan took his last steps. He called the police right before he jumped, but by the time they got there, it was too late.
As Walter is sitting on the couch watching the news, BREAKING NEWS flashes across the tv screen.
“Honey? Honey! Please come over here” says Walter.
BREAKING NEWS. “We’re here at Thor Peak in Canada and Ryan Jennings is no longer with us as just minutes ago, he jumped to his death. 5,500 feet above the surface, Ryan has left behind a knife with a name engraved on it, Walter. It is believed to belong to his father, Walter Jennings. There is also a handgun, a Sig Sauer P320 in which Ryan told the police he had possession of over the phone. As we gather more information, we will update you all. I am deeply sorry to deliver this disturbing news and my condolences go out to the Jennings family.”
Vanessa gasps, covering her mouth as she watches the screen, tears filling her blue eyes. Her heart beats at a rapid pace, her hands sweating as her body begins to shake. She slowly walks closer to the tv, not wanting to believe what she just heard. Tears flow down her cheeks, and she picks up a glass cup sitting on the coffee table. She holds it close to her heart, looking at it for a couple seconds, before she throws it as hard as possible across the room. The glass shatters against the wall.
“Ahhhhhhhhh” she screeches out loud. She slowly drops to the ground, burying her face into her hands. “My baby…no no no not my baby. Not my Ryan. No! Why is this happening to me! Ahhh!” she yells in pain. She bursts into tears on the living room floor. Walter gets up off the couch and goes over to pick his wife up. He grabs her and holds her tight, as she weeps on his shirt.
Walter begins to think about all the memories he has had with his son.
“Dad, dad check that out! Wow…look at that view” says Ryan in shock.
“Yeah son, the good ole Thor Peak cliff. I used to love coming here, I had to take you. This is unlike anything you’ll ever see.”
“Thank you for taking me, this is so cool” says Ryan smiling at his dad.
“Of course son, this is what happens when you get good grades. You get rewarded, congrats! But remember what happens when you don’t get A’s.”
Walter gives Ryan the evil eye as Ryan slowly turns away.
“You know what happens right!” yells Walter.
Ryan, afraid to look at his dad, looks out into the distance.
“Wow, look at that rock, its huge!”
Walter stiffly walks over to Ryan placing a gun right on the side of his head.
“Don’t move…when I speak to you young man, you answer me. You hear me!”
Ryan shaking and sweating, afraid to move an inch, does not say anything.
“Boy you better answer me before I do something the both of us don’t want, do you hear me! You answer me and look me in the eyes when I speak to you.”
“Okay, ye…yes sir” replies Ryan stuttering.
“Eyes!” yells Walter.
Ryan turns slowly to look at his father with the gun still on his head. “Ye…yes sir.”
Walter comes back to reality, realizing that his son is really gone.
Later that night, the Jennings hear a loud bang at their front door. Walter and Vanessa look at each other, and slowly make their way to the door.
“Hello officer” says Walter.
“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, my name is Officer Burdsee. I’m sorry to stop by so late, but I have some heartbreaking news to tell you.”
“We saw the news, we know” replies Walter as his voice gets lower. Vanessa begins to sob quietly.
“I am so sorry guys. May I please come in and give you all the information that I know so far?” asks Officer Burdsee.
“Ok, sure” replies Walter.
“So, I received a call from your son Ryan.”
Vanessa weeps in silence.
“I know this is going to be hard to hear, but I have to inform you all. He told me that he wanted to commit suicide but could not decide how he wanted to do it. He told me that he had three options…to use the knife, the gun, or the cliff. I told Ryan not to make any decisions and that help was on the way. I told him everything was going to be okay, so he waited. I saw him on the edge of the cliff as my helicopter pulled closer and closer to him, and before I could yell out to him…he jumped.”
Vanessa leans into Walter’s shoulder and you can hear her pain.
“I am sorry Mr. And Mrs. Jennings, I did everything possible to help save your son. I am so deeply sorry.”
A silence goes around the room.
“Vanessa, may I speak with you in private please?” asks Officer Burdsee.
Vanessa gets up and walks to the other side of the house.
“I have something I need to ask you that may be hard to hear” says Officer Burdsee in a serious, worried tone.
Vanessa looks at him with a sad, confused look.
“Did Ryan ever talk to you about being abused?”
Vanessa’s face turns red as she clinches her fist tightly.
“What are you talking about?” she asks. “My son was not abused.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I’m afraid that may be true. When he called me, he told me the reason why he was committing suicide.”
Vanessa looks away from the officer, trying to hold herself together.
“He told me that his father would abuse him on multiple occasions.”
“What!” yells Vanessa.
Officer Burdsee continues. “There have been several instances where he would choke Ryan with a red bandana, because he received a “B” on his paper in school. He would slap and punch him, and even push him to the ground. He would yell at him constantly. Do you know if Walter would ever take Ryan to Thor Peak?”
“Yeah he would take him there all the time, why?” asks Vanessa with fiery in her eyes.
“One time when Walter took Ryan there, he put a gun to Ryan’s head, threatening him. It was the Sig Sauer P320 that we found on the edge of the cliff. I am sorry to tell you this, but you needed to know. Do you see this kind of aggression in your husband? Has he ever acted out in any way?”
Vanessa takes a deep breath, fighting back her anger.
“No, it doesn’t sound like him. He’s a great guy and is an even better father. Are you sure Ryan said all of that?” Her mood begins to change a little.
“Yes ma’am, I’m sorry but yes” replies Officer Burdsee.
“Ok, let me handle this” says Vanessa.
“Are you sure Mrs. Jennings? We can take him in for questioning.”
“No, no need for that, I will handle it.”
“Ok, we’ll be in touch. Again, I am extremely sorry about all of this.”
Officer Burdsee begins to walk away, then turns around quickly.
“Oh, I almost forgot to ask you Mrs. Jennings.”
Officer Burdsee pulls out two bags, one with the knife and one with the gun.
“The case is now closed since it is a suicide. Do you want these personal items back?”
Vanessa stares at the items, not wanting to believe what her son has done. She takes a moment.
“Yes, I will take them. Thank you for stopping by Officer.”
“Of course, if you need anything, just give me a call, here is my card.”
Mrs. Jennings nods as Officer Burdsee leaves.
That night, Walter and Vanessa go to bed with lots of emotions floating around in the air; sadness, anger, confusion.
***
The next morning, Walter wakes up to Vanessa standing over him. He jumps out of his sleep, “you scared me. What’s going on?”
Walter turns to his nightstand to take a look at his phone.
“6:13 am? What are you doing up?”
“Our son has died, I cannot sleep. I don’t know how you can” says Vanessa wearing her all black sweatsuit, her hood so big you can barely see her face.
She walks away as Walter falls back asleep. She watches the news looking for any new information on her son. She shuts it off after five minutes, “too difficult to listen to anything” she says to herself.
Later that afternoon, Walter walks into the kitchen to see his wife just sitting in silence with a blank look on her face.
“How you doing honey?” asks Walter.
“Hanging in there, hanging in there Walter.”
“You want to watch a funny movie or something? Might take our mind off things.”
A deep silence flows through the kitchen as Vanessa drifts off. She looks at the copper floor, thinking about that time her and Ryan had a snowball fight.
“You hear me?” asks Walter aggressively. “Want to watch a movie? Maybe work on a puzzle?”
“12 years old…only 12 years old” she whispers.
“What was that?”
“Huh?” says Vanessa as she jumps out of thought. “Oh nothing.”
“What were you thinking about? You alright?”
Vanessa gets up and storms away from the table, not looking back at her husband. “It’s nothing Walter” she says as she stomps up the stairs.
***
The next day, Vanessa, already dressed for the day at 5:15 am, is wearing all black again with a huge hood over her face. She goes to wake up Walter.
“I want to go to Thor Peak.”
“Ok, when hun?” asks Walter.
“Today” she replies quickly.
“What time is it? What are you doing up so early, are you sure that’s a good idea right now? You really want to go?”
“Yes, yes I do.” replies Vanessa. “Can you be ready in a hour?”
“Of course, but may I ask why so early Vanessa.”
“I need to be there; something is calling me to that place. Ryan is calling me.”
Time passes, and Vanessa speeds down the road in her 2020 red BMW M8. Droplets of rain begin to fall on the windshield. The couple arrive at Thor Peak, and the rain begins to pour down.
“Hey hun get the umbrella out the trunk!” yells Walter trying to talk over the rain.
“I’m good, don’t need it” replies Vanessa as she pulls her black hood down to eye level.
Walter and Vanessa make their way up the cliff, getting drenched along the way.
“You alright honey?” asks Walter.
“No I’m not, our son just died!” she yells back loudly.
After a long walk, they make it to the spot where their son stood not too long ago. They stand side by side, both looking at the view as they watch the pouring rain continue to fall.
“I’m sorry, I just need some time alone for a second. I’m going to catch some air” says Vanessa as she walks away from Walter.
“Aye!”
“Yes, my dear?” says Walter.
“Don’t stand too close to the edge.”
Walter slightly smirks and nods his head. He turns back around to face the view.
Vanessa takes out a knife with a name engraved on it, Walter. She pulls out a Sig Sauer P320 and points it directly at Walter.
“Walter” says Vanessa.
Walter turns around and immediately puts his hands in the air.
“Vanessa, wh-what are you doing right now?”
“What were you doing when you put a gun to our 12-year-old son’s head! Huh? Answer that. What were you doing when you abused him for getting a ‘B’ in school? Choking him with a red bandana, are you crazy! You’re nothing, and you were nothing to my Ryan. You deserve this. No one messes with my Ryan.”
Vanessa lowers the gun and looks at both of her hands.
“Which do you prefer? This?” Vanessa raises the gun in the air.
Walter takes a step backwards, his heels on the very edge of the cliff.
“Or this?” Vanessa shows Walter the knife that has his name engraved on it.
“How about this…since you like pointing it at people. Right Walter? You like pointing it at your own son. How about…”
Vanessa cocks the gun.
“How about you never should have done anything to hurt my Ryan. As I said, don’t stand too close to the edge.”
Vanessa fires three shots into the chest of her husband. He falls down the cliff, 5,500 feet above the surface. Vanessa walks over to the edge. She feels a sense of relief as she looks down the cliff. She hears a voice behind her yell “mom!”
She turns around and Ryan is standing right there, holding back tears. He runs to hug his mom and squeezes her as tight as he can.
“I’m sorry I faked my death, but I didn’t know what else to do” says Ryan as he begins to cry.
“It’s ok baby, he’s gone now. He’s gone forever” says Vanessa as she wipes her son’s tears.
Ryan and Vanessa hear footsteps, and see someone approaching them.
“Looks like it all worked out huh?” says a deep voice.
“Officer Burdsee!” yells Ryan.
Ryan and Vanessa both hug Officer Burdsee.
“Thank you so much for helping me with this Officer Burdsee. You saved my family from that monster” says Ryan.
“That’s my job, Ryan. I will do anything to save a family. Let’s get you guys back home” replies Officer Burdsee.
Vanessa, Ryan, and Officer Burdsee begin to leave. Vanessa stares back at the spot where she just killed her husband. A tear drops from her eye, as she turns around leaving the past in the past.
MakaiSelfBlogs 