Author's Note
"Another story so soon?" I know but this is one I had for a while and couldn't get it out of my head. I hope you all enjoy and the person who gets both references in this chapter wins a prize.
Lesson One: Reason
Sunset slowly opened her eyes. The sight of the white ceiling and the smell of disinfectants reveal one thing to her. She had failed. She was still alive. Slowly sitting up she looked down at her bandaged arms. Looking at them only reminded her of how much of her life was ruined. It started with Anon-a-miss framing her and turning her friends against her. Then the school turned on her. Soon verbal assaults turned to physical ones, the teachers turning a blind eye to the beatings. Yesterday she wanted it all to end, so she grabbed a kitchen knife and ended it.
She was wondering why she was here though. Why was she in the hospital and how did she get here? Her landlord was the brother of one of the victims of Anon-a-miss so it couldn't have been him. So how...How was she still alive. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. A nurse with white skin and pink hair walked in.
"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling miss Shimmer?" She asked as she checked her vitals and paperwork on the clipboard at the end of her bed.
"Depressed knowing that I can't even kill myself right." Why wouldn't she be. She failed to convince the principles. She failed to convince the teachers and students. She even failed to convince her friends...Former friends. Why couldn't she do anything right.
"I-I see." The nurse said, "Well I'm afraid we need to talk about your paperwork or rather the lack of them." Sunset could only sigh. She knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. She forged transcripts in order to get onto school but that was about it. In this world she technically didn't exist according to the government.
"However the hospital is giving you a choice. Either you can stay here and help us figure this out and fill out a payment plan or you can join a one on one live in therapy program. Should you choose the second option then the hospital will cover all expenses and won't bother for about paperwork." Sunset could only stare at her.
"Why...Why would they do that?" She was genuinely confused. What kind of hospital lets a patient with no papers go without paying.
The nurse could only shrug, "Someone named Twilight Sparkle paid the director a lot of money to even give you that option." Sunsets heart sank. That's how she was found and taken to the hospital. Her heart was drowning in guilt and depression. Twilight had saved her when she turned to a demon. She helped her try to win her friends back after Anon-a-miss broke them up...She helped her live. The least she can do is try to live for her, right?
"What can you tell me about the therapist?" The nurse gave a sad yet comforting smile.
"Well he isn't officially on the books, which is why you wont need to pay. The hospital will cover it. His patients all said he's mean and some even say he's down right sadistic. But he has a 100% success rate in helping suicide victims, if that means anything."
'Down right sadistic huh? Not like I have anything else to lose.'
Sunset looked at the apartment she was standing in front of. The paint was chipped to oblivion, glass so dirty you could barely see out of it, and located on the worst side of town. She took out the paper in her backpack and read it again.
Flim and Flam Apartments room 37. He already knows you're coming. Also you are expected to return to school.
This was indeed the place she will be staying at. Taking a deep breath she walked into the building and up the stairs. Her arms weakly protested at using the guardrail to help her up. She knocked on the door and waited patiently. She could hear two locks and a chain being undone before the door open. A tall man opened the door.
He was wearing a brown zip-up hoodie, red pants, and black combat boots. His whole body was covered in bandages. He has short black hair and has a case of heterochromia in his eyes, his right eye being light brown and his left eye being light orange. At first she thought she had the wrong room before he spoke.
"So your the little shit that's goin' to stay with me huh?" his voice was slightly shrill and throaty, "The fuck you just standing there for? Come inside." Slowly she entered the apartment. The living room had a small couch, a coffee table, and a tv in it. To her left was a small kitchenette and a dining room right next to it. Down the hallway were four door, two on the left, one on the right, and one on the far end.
"Your rooms on the second to left door. the first is the bathroom and the one of the right a the hallway closet. Once you finish unpacking your shit come meet me in the living room. " He sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Sunset made her way to her new room that she'll be staying in for the time being.
The room was empty, save for a bed and dresser. The window was somewhat clean but some dirty stains just wouldn't leave. The bed had a pillow and a blanket while the dresser was completely empty. She dropped her backpack on the bed and started putting away her things. With only a weeks' worth of clothes and school supplies she was finished quite quickly. Making her way to the living room she sat down next to her therapist...Roommate?...therapist. Playing on the TV was a some kind of cartoon.
A blue skunk was covered in grime and dirt with a crazed look in her eyes. Sunset didn't think adults would still watch children's cartoons. That was until she saw the next scene. The skunk had walked over to a kitchen sink with a potato peeler in hand. The skunk start to peel away the skin on her arm, blood and muscle showing. She continued to do this, peeling away at the skin on her body until, nothing was left but mucle and blood. Her new therapist changed the channel to the news.
"So what's your name little shit?" Sunset gulped, still trying to process what she just saw. What kind of person watches cartoons like that. What kind of person MAKES them!
"S-Sunset Sh-Shimmer." She answered hesitantly.
"Well listen here Shimmer shit. My names Zack and this will be your new home until I say you're good again. Your new curfew is at 8 o'clock got that? You won't need to do anythin' today, so just relax and get used to the place." He turned back to the TV and watched the news. Sunsets thoughts started to drift as she stared at the TV.
Why was she doing this? She knows it was Twilight but why did she care. Sunset wanted to die. She wants to die. The pain of being turned on. The pain of being alone. The pain of the knife as it went down her arms. So why...
"Why am I still alive?" She asked aloud to no one.
"What are you, fucking stupid!" Zack punched the top of her head kinda like they were in an anime, "Your still alive because something made you want to be alive! It's the only reason you're here. If you truly want to die than you'll have to cut it out of your life. So you better start thinking about what it is! " He went back to watching TV she thought about what he said.
Something that made me want to live. Something that I didn't even now that gave me a reason...A reason to keep living. Sunset spent the rest of the day thinking about her reason that helped her keep living.
