The Long Way

[TW: Su1c1de]

There are almost always multiple ways to get from point A to point B. Most direction software will use the shortest path, but what if you didn’t? What if you took the long way home?

Many things could happen from that, the outcome could vary. Maybe you get lost, or maybe you discover something beautiful you didn’t know was there. Could be a waterfall, a bridge, or possibly even a store. The outcome will vary. That is what I decided to do. I decided to take the long way.

It all started on the morning of October 27, 2015. I had just left for work when I realized I was gonna be an hour early if I didn’t stop, I didn’t want to be alone at the studio for a whole 60 minutes, so I decide to take, well, the long way. There were a few back roads I took take, so I took the northern one. Did you know that the city doesn’t update road conditions for roads that nobody lives on? And if you get stuck in mud on this road, you can’t get out. I really, really, hate living in a small town. One of the worse things that can happen is your phone not having any service on your phone. Usually, you can call emergency services even if your phone doesn’t have traditional service. There are two places I know of where this doesn’t apply. National and state parks, and Parkside Rd. the road I so happen to be stuck on. I must be the unluckiest person alive. As I was passed a certain bridge that connect two sides of an uncrossable river, the bridge collapsed. This means I was stuck. No civilization for miles in every direction. This was a Hatchet-type situation. All I had was everything in my car, which does not include any survival gear. Everything I had in my car was: a hammer; a spare tire; and jumper cables. Not too much. But, so far, I’ve lived with this small amount of material for 2 years. I have no idea if they are looking for me, and I have no idea if they even have a general idea of where I am. Hell, I don’t even know where I am. If I get out of this alive, I will definitely keep some more survival-based stuff in my car. I’m actually writing this on a small piece of paper I found in my car. Luckily, I write super small. You might be asking how I lived for 2 years with the minuscule amount of materials I have in here. Well, I actually have extensive knowledge of how to survive in the forest. Which, luckily, I was stranded by. The woods itself didn’t include any materials that would appeal to the average Joe such as yourself. I don’t actually know why I’m writing this as a letter or something. I have no idea what will come of this insignificant journal entry. If I ever get out of this situation, I might release this to the public. Maybe the public doesn’t know about me. I don’t have many family members and it’s normal for people to quiet quit where I work. I guess that would be worked now that I’m missing. As I’m writing this, I have just found a notebook, completely blank, with 100 sheets of paper. Now that the space on this paper doesn’t matter, I’m going to end this entry here.

Day 2: This is the second entry of my survival journal. Yesterday was a bit interesting, I didn’t do much to improve my situation because, in the couple of years that I’ve been out here, I’ve built some infrastructure that improves my condition to the best I can. Remember when I said that the mud on this road was impossible to get out of? It’s actually just extremely physically demanding to do my hand, but not impossible. While getting my car, which is a 2010 Chrysler Sebring, I hit the gas tank and ALL of the gas spilled out, making the car unusable. It would’ve been smart to just leave my car there, it was on its side or anything, simply in mud that was on the same plane as the road. It’s atrocious what happened to me. It was in the middle of winter, with black ice on the road. I slid into the mud, and my car was stuck. I hope someone helps me, that aforementioned infrastructure is starting to break down. I kill the local deer for food, that hasn’t alarmed anyone yet. This gun might come in handy later.

I decided to walk back to the bridge that collapsed, it’s collapsed, I don’t expect that to ever repair, this road is super small and unknown, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the last person to ever drive on this road.

Suicide is an interesting thing. Usually, it causes great pain for family members, friends, colleagues, peers, and co-workers, but what if nobody knows? What if your suicide goes completely unnoticed, what if its the best option? That almost never happens. Somebody will notice your suicide. I’m not so certain about that fact, especially with the fact that I’ve been missing for two years and nobody has found me. Well, its fate, I’m going to take my life.

Day 3: The plan is simple. I will take me and my gun to the uncrossable river from earlier. Step in the river, and do it. It’s odd writing before killing yourself. Your last words. I want my last words to be “I tried.” Hopefully I remember these words before I commit the act. This entire journal has really help me realize the true solution. Killing myself is the only thing I can do. It truly is strange realizing that this will be the last thing of mine.

(The rest of this will be written in third person, outside of the journal)

As he walked to the river, he started crying, almost breaking down right there in the middle of this road, that being Parkside Rd. It hit him that this is the last thing he will do. As he approached the river, he started to snap back into reality. As he stood in the uncrossable river, he shot himself in the head. As the life drained out of his eyes, he could see a car driving up, the people in the car, being his family, had realized they were simply too late.