Confused, my excitement turned into fear. Whenever we tried to talk to him he would just mumble to himself. When we reached home we got a call from his Officer, he explained to us that Dad needed to be institutionalized because he suffered from brain injury and post-traumatic stress. The officials will be there at 9pm to escort him to the Mental Health Institute. I still remember that night. Mom hadn’t told my sister or me, but I had overheard the conversation. Mom sent us off to bed early, of course, didn't’t sleep. I crept up to the hall way, where I could see my mom and dad in the kitchen. Mom had tried to talk to him, to reassure him, but coulddn’t get through to him. He screamed, he grabbed a knife, and tried to stab her. He was shrieking, tears streaming down his face. Then all of a sudden, he stopped. He fell to the ground a curled up in fetal position. He started sobbing; he looked like a three year old throwing a temper tantrum. When the officials got here he clawed at the walls, and grabbed the furniture. They had to drag him out. I ran to him, trying to pull him away from the men in black clothes. I was crying tears were running down my cheeks. All I could think about was keeping my dad home and safe. My mom hugged me and whispered “Let go sweetie. It’s for Dad’s own good. If you love him let go.” She spoke softly, trying her best not to burst out in tears. I finally let go. I hugged him, he didn’t hug back. He was singing a song. Staring vacantly at the raining dark night. The men finally managed to move him out. My dad was gone. Gone.

The school bell rang, I sat up, grabbed my bag and headed for the door. Mrs. O’Brian called out, “Class don’t forget we have a test tomorrow. Oh, and Leo would you mind staying after class?” All the kids shouted “Ooooooh!” my face turned red. I got up just as everyone left the room. “Leo, what happened, “you were such a great student this whole year and now these past months you…..” Her voice trailed off. My grades have been slipping ever since that night, I’ve just been lost. Lost at everything, in everything. I don’t even remember the last time I was happy. I am losing my friends. It’s not their fault; I just haven’t had the motivation to hang. Life has been really rough lately. “Look, I am going to have a meeting with your mom on Thursday at 3:30 pm.” “Oh-okay.” I sputtered out trying to spend the least amount of time in front of Mrs. O’Brian’s glare. I ran for the door. I flipped my phone to check what time it was. Great 4 o’clock mom said to be back at 3:30. I ran home. At last I got home at about 4:15 mom was fuming. She screamed at me for almost a minute and a half. I just ignored her and went to my room. I started on my homework. Then my phone buzzed. I just ignored it, I got to the first problem alright, 12x + 3 = 27, bzzzzt. The phone went off again. Alright I thought to myself. I pulled the phone out. It read, Two Unread Messages. I clicked open and it showed a text from my best bud, used to be best bud that said, “Hey bro I haven’t talked to you forever. Anyways I was talking to Emily and she said that Stacey thought you were cute. Stacey Williams! STACEY WILLIAMS YOU’VE HAD THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON HER FOR LIKE FOUR YEARS!!” I checked the other message, it read Stacey. No way, I thought. Something actually good happened, I don’t remember the last time something went my way was when I beat my dad in a one on one basketball game. Dad I thought. I missed him so much. My mom came in screaming her head off, something about homework. Oh yeah! Something clicked, “Homework, right.” I replied after her rant was over. When she left the room, I allowed myself a smile. The next day I walked to school. As I headed out the door, Mom told me to walk my sister home today because she had the meeting with the teacher at 3:30. I stepped outside, it’s a cold day, I thought. The clouds are out, there are a couple of stray drops of rain here and there. I broke into a sprint. When I got to school I was drenched. I was late as well. I opened the door of my first period class, everyone started laughing at me. I walked over to my desk. I noticed everyone had the same yellow tinted paper in front of them. Damn, I forgot we have a math test today. “Mr. Evans please come and collect your paper.” My teacher said. I walked up to get the paper. “You are a little wet aren’t you?” He said with a snicker. The class started laughing. Funny Guy. I grabbed the paper, forcing a smile. Alright, I stared blank at the paper. I decided to guess on all of them. I didn’t even remember learning this. Before I knew it the bell rang and it was time for second period. I saw Stacey, she kind of giggled when she saw me. My second period class is the best. History is the only class which I’m good at, I have had an A the entire year. As soon as I sat down I started unpacking my bag. It took me a good three minutes to get my stuff out and find everything. Then I heard the ringing. The unmistakable ringing. The fire drill. Great. Next I heard Mr. Johnson’s voice trying to get everyone into a single file line and quiet. We headed out the door and went down the stairs. Outside it had cleared up. A nice sunny Thursday afternoon. Wait, what was on Thursday? I sat there unmoving for a moment. Oh yeah the meeting. Awesome. The security guard came outside to wave us okay. We were walking back and Stacey was right next to me! She kept walking at my pace. When I slowed she slowed. Then right before she was about to leave I felt a small wet little touch in the center of my cheek. I looked over and she was gone.

I walked with total swag the rest of the day. I was on the top of the world. No one could stop me no matter what happened. I didn’t even care that my mom was meeting the teacher today. My mom came during 9th period before class had ended she came in and sat down right next to me. The whole class laughed. My face got red, it didn’t really bug me. What really bugged me was when the bell rang and I was trying to walk out as fast as I could, my Mom called out, “Don’t forget to pick up your little sister sweetie!” I just kept on walking. Out the door, my face as red as a tomato. I turned the corner of the street and headed towards Kelly’s school. There two separate group of guys near her school. They seemed to be arguing over a car accident about whose fault it was. I decided to get her as quick as possible. I didn’t want any conflict. I looked up as I passed the groups of guys, avoiding eye contact, it was a blood red sky, it was almost as if the sky was bleeding into the ground. I glanced over just as I entered the door, I could make out the face of heartless, wretched, criminals. I entered the door and got my sister. She started asking a million questions. I just told her, “We need to hurry. Talk when we get home.” My mind was racing, I was nervous about that group of guys, she but kept talking. Something about winning the Easter bunny egg hunt. I heard footsteps, then Kelly Talking. Footsteps following. More talking. More footsteps. Shouting. BANG. A Scream, then Silence. I broke into a run. Silence. No more questions. Great. I thought she’s quiet. I stopped dead in my tracks. Too quiet. I looked back to keep her close to me. She wasn’t there. I spun around completely. I saw a pool of red liquid behind me. Then I looked closer. It was raining. My sister’s body was lying right next to it. It really seemed as if the sky had bled into the ground.

“NO!” I screamed. I cried out. “No!!” I ran to her. To be with her. She was still alive, the flashing red lights of the ambulance behind me. She held my arm. She whispered something in my ear, before she closed her eyes, “I remember Dad, Leo. I finally remember him.” Just as the paramedics took her away. She smiled at me. I was speechless. I had lost everyone; only person that was left was Mom. Just as life started to pick up, just when there was something that I felt living for, my heart is shattered. I was shattered. My mom came. She didn’t believe anyone. She was in shock. I was back to being lost again. This time, I didn’t think anything will get me out.
I missed school. I’m not ever going back to school. Stacey texted me saying, “I’m sorry to hear about your sister.” That’s when it really hit home. That’s when I realized what had happened. That’s when I just wished my life ended. The window was open. All I had to do was jump. Everything would be over. I dropped my phone. Tears were hitting the floor like rain drops on concrete. The cool, crisp wind blew in my face, turning my wet tears dry. I walked over to the window. Looked outside. People standing around minding their own business, talking on cell phones. Going about their daily life. I felt the exhilaration of just being on the windowsill, ready to jump. Ready to let go. Jump. My body went from adrenaline rush to stock still. I stopped dead in my tracks. I heard a song. A familiar song. I thought back. I remembered my dad for some unknown reason. Then I realized. It was that song. That same, unmistakable melody that I had heard that night. The night my dad was taken.

I backed up and fell, backwards. My head hit the floor, I didn’t check to see if I was hurt, I just ran. I ran, down the stairs, and across the street to a street performer. Tears were running down my face. “Sir, May I ask what song is that?” I spoke softly. “Yeas.” The man spoke with a Jamaican accent. He told me the name of the song. I thanked him and went back home. I saw a guitar lying around in my room. I haven’t picked up a guitar in two years.

Mom came and told me that we were able to go talk to Dad. He was making a recovery but the doctor says he doesn’t think he will ever be completely fine. That’s better than nothing I thought. We went to go see him that day, the day I attempted suicide, he didn’t even recognize me. He just kept humming. That same song. Mom started crying. She hugged him, but again he didn’t hug back. My heart was too shattered to get anywhere near him. For now. Dad kept singing that song, he looked so sad. Then I had an idea. I had a challenge, for myself. We left the place because the doctor had to sedate him to examine him. Mom was trying really hard not to cry. I didn’t say anything. As soon as we got home I went to my room. I started playing the guitar. Day after day, just kept playing. I looked up on the computer how exactly I should play it and taught myself. We went to go see Dad every day at about two o’clock. It was March 11, this day I decided to play for him. Play for my Dad.

We walked in through the doors of the MHI, everybody smiled at me when the saw me holding a guitar in my hand. I smiled back. When we got to dads room I found him humming the song again. I asked the doctor about it, he said, “I really just don’t know Leo. He has been humming it since the day he got here.” “Wow,” I said. The nurse brought me a chair to sit on. I sat up on it and started playing. I kept on playing until the song finished. Dad said nothing, had that same blank stare in his eyes. Still humming the same song.

The next day I repeated the routine. Nothing happened. I repeated the routine the next day, and the next. I never got discouraged because I fell in love with the guitar. I was lost in the music. It was three months since I first started playing. I walked in, I told myself, “Its okay if he doesn’t respond. He can still hear you. We still have tomorrow.” I walked in the room and the doctor was waiting for me. He said, “This would be the last time I could play for him because yesterday they conducted a series of tests and he was falling back into a relapse. He needed to be sedated.” I almost cried. Almost. I put on a determined face despite my insides caving out on me. I started playing. He was still humming, but midway through the song he stopped. I continued playing. When I finally finished I asked, “Dad?” A smile crept up to his face. “Son,” He croaked, “I know that song?”