The Seductress Revenge

6

One night was what it took for Maya to grasp unto the hazy idea. It felt like she was sinking deep into an eternity of nothingness and the only way to pull herself out was to end it all.

She had nothing else to hold unto, there was nothing to make her rethink this decision. There was no family that would miss her, no one would look for her or wonder where she had gone. She would probably show up on the news the first day and afterwards, the news would die down like fire without fuel.

Maya cried through the entire night and by the time she made all finishings touches to her decision, her head felt like a ball being tossed around by highly energetic teenagers on a rough terrain.

She had decided. There was no use for her life anymore. Ending her life would end the pain and save her from further misery that was obviously waiting for her. There was nothing that would change her mind now.

The time was around 4am when Maya crawled out of the bed. The darkness was heavy, seeming to swallow her whole. The silence of the night weighing heavily on her shoulders.

With leaden feet, Maya made her way to the hospital's rooftop. The cool night air hit her hard her, making a shiver run down her spine.

Maya reached the edge of the rooftop, the railing cold against her palms. She gazed out into the void, her thoughts consumed by the overwhelming pain and despair.

She didn't want to think about it anymore, lest the fear of what she was about to do make her change her mind. She stared down to the city below, the early morning lights a beautiful view to one who didn't have the weight of the whole world on her shoulders.

This was it!

“ Goodbye world!" Maya said, her voice barely above a whisper.

It might have been that life had different plans for her or her fate was not done with being cruel to her but even in trying to commit suicide, Maya failed.

Just as she was about to take the final step, a voice called out loudly behind her.

"Maya!"

Maya's head whipped around, her eyes locking onto a familiar figure rushing towards her.

It didn't take long for her to recognize the person.

“ Rebecca?" Maya's voice barely rose above a whisper.

Rebecca, her friend from high school, reached Maya's side, out of breath.

"What the…! What are you doing, Maya? Oh God, please don't do this"

Maya's gaze dropped, her eyes welling up with tears.

"There's no point. Don't try to stop me, just pretend you didn't see me here. Please"

Rebecca reached for Maya's arms, holding her tight.

“ I can't do that, Maya. Listen to me, you don't have to do this"

Maya shook her head vigorously as the wind blew the tears across her face.

" Nothing matters anymore “

" That's not true, Maya. You matter to me. You matter to so many people."

Maya shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

" No one will even notice I'm gone " she mumbled.

Rebecca held unto Maya tighter, afraid that if she let go, she would jump.

" Maya, listen to me”

Maya's gaze drifted back to the void, her thoughts consumed by the overwhelming pain. She had lost everything: her baby, her sense of self, her will to live.

Rebecca's grip on her arms tightened, holding her back from the edge.

" Maya, please don't do this. You're not alone. I'm here for you."

Maya let out a cold laugh, the sound cynical and hysterical.

" You don't understand. I've lost everything. My baby... Chris... Candice... They took everything from me." She cried.

Rebecca didn't understand but she was overwhelmed with sympathy.

" But you can't give up. You have to keep fighting."

Maya scoffed with a trace of rage.

" Fighting for what? There's nothing left. No one cares about me."

Rebecca was not ready to give up.

" Maya, I care about you. And I know others do too. You're not invisible."

Maya shook her head again, tears streaming down her face.

" Rebecca, you don't get it. I was nothing to Chris. Just a pawn in his game. And Candice... She's evil's incarnate. I can't take this pain,I just want to end it all”

"They're toxic, Maya. But you're not. They might have hurt you badly but you're strong, you're resilient. You can rise above this."

Maya was getting enraged. By now, she would have been long gone, her soul deserted from the unlucky vessel it had found itself in and off on it's way to find peace. But here she was, battling with the least person she expected to see over her own life.

" That is very easy for you to say. You don't know what I've been through." She said.

Rebecca's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then tell me, Maya. Let me understand." Her tone held comfort that Maya had been seeking her entire life.

Maya's eyes locked onto Rebecca's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. Then, like she was being controlled by some sort of force, Maya stepped down from the pavement.

In a voice barely above a whisper, she began to let it all out. Rebecca already knew the history between she and Candice. She was the only one who knew out of all of her classmates back in high school. Rebecca had joined them in their senior year and even though every one warned her against Maya, she was unbelievably nice to her. She saw through her high walls and she didn't judge. It was right to say Rebecca was the only friend Maya had ever had.

However, after graduation, all of it faded away. Maya left town without telling anyone, not even Rebecca. She wanted to start afresh and pick up the pieces of her life. If only she had known that Rebecca would still be her saving grace at some point, maybe she wouldn't have run away from the bond they undeniably shared.

As Maya let the words pour out, she felt a weight lifting, ever so slightly. Rebecca listened, her expression a soothing gaze.

When Maya finished, she pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Maya. No one deserves that."

Maya's tears soaked into Rebecca's shoulder as she whispered,

"I thought I had nothing left to lose."

Rebecca pulled away from the hug, wiping tears of her own. She held Maya's chin and looked directly into her eyes,

" I'm here for you, Maya. I'm here and I won't go anywhere. I won't let you go” she whispered back, her tone firm and encouraging.

Maya sniffed, her head reeling from crying so much.

“ I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go from here. They've taken everything, I have nothing at this point Rebecca" she sobbed.

Rebecca shook her head.

“ No! You have me, Maya. I'll walk with you through this. I promise you, you will get out of this position" she repeated.

Maya's eyes held vulnerability, alongside the massive pain she was feeling. The more she stared into Rebecca’s comforting gaze,the more she felt the need to let it all out. At some point, she broke down into a loud cry, the type that shook her entire body and made her run out of breath. Rebecca took a very deep breath and pulled her back into her arms letting her cry her eyes out.

Maya's cries echoed on the rooftop, the sound shattering the silence of the early morning. Rebecca was patient with her. She rubbed her back reassuringly, not minding that her shirt had been soaked by her tears.

Eventually, Maya sobered down but Rebecca didn't let go. She continued patting her back while they stood under the late moonlight, the rhythm sending a wave of comfort coarsing through Maya.

“ You're not alone anymore, Maya" Rebecca whispered in her ears.

" I'm here for you” she added.