Pain Will Numb

• Gabrielle Hales, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

Pain will Numb

The bottle shatters, spraying glass shards onto her skin. The glass forms deep cuts. Crimson red blood leaks from the wound. Still, she felt no pain. She’s done this countless times, trying to find any way for her to feel pain. No, to feel anything. Anything to make this room feel less like hell. Numb. That was the only thing she could feel. A growing emptiness that consumes her, drowning her in unwanted memories that crosses her mind day and night. The sun glinted through the tiny window in front of her. The light from the rising sun spilled through the dark room, illuminating the transparent shards to shimmer. Like a million eyes were watching her misery, doing nothing to help. But she was broken. There was no way in aiding her. She was broken beyond mending. She threw herself against the wall. No pain. No feeling. No nothing. She threw herself again. And again. And again. Tears welled from her blank eyes, trickling down her cheek. She began screaming. She threw herself on the bed of glass. Staring at some point in the distance, she was now consumed in the memories she can’t keep at bay. She picks herself up and heads towards the kitchen. The bottle of vodka she would find every single tortures morning was sitting on the blank counter as it always was. Before she let the revolting drink consume her senses, letting the hallucinations kick in and turn her delusional, she had an epiphany. Why bother? Why destroy yourself, until it can’t hurt anymore? Why live with the pain until it’s so unbearable that you stay with the same things, knowing that if you change, a new pain would be released? Why stay empty? Why live groundhog day over and over again? Pain has made her numb, but change will release her. She smashed the bottle onto the floor, a colourless liquid dousing the glass shards in a foul stench. However, in the pile of glass was a key. Already the pain hit her, and she doubled over. Memories flashed through her mind. Groaning, she grabbed the key and dashed to the cupboards. Once, when she searched for a way to escape she came across a box. But, just like the key, the pain ripped through her and she never looked at it again. Now, she had to. She took the box, shoved the key into the hole and opened it. Desperation took away the pain.

Love breaks, Love heals. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Words she remembered. Suddenly, a wave of water gushed into the room through the window, immediately throwing her off her feet. Water filled her lungs but something felt different. A feeling she had forgotten. Release. Freedom. The door opened, golden light shining through. She welcomed it. Stepping out of the house and into the world she had abandoned. She’d faced her misery. And now she was… home again. A smile crept on her face. She was clean.