If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

I was dozing peacefully in the comfortable vinyl armchair when dawn broke through the curtains and lit up the room around me. My eyelids snapped open and the soft orange glow of the rising sun greeted me warmly.

I stretched and surveyed the room lazily. Rarity was still snoozing peacefully, a small frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. I got up, walked over to the drapes and looked back to her. If I was feeling a little more mischievous, I probably would have thrown them open, but it just didn't seem right. Maybe another time.

I walked back to my spot and sat down quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping mare. Fishing a smoke out of my boot, I lit it and stared at the dark ceiling. What are you still doing here, John? Probably aughta leave. No, I'll stay right here.

A few minutes passed and I finished the cigarette, tossing it into the garbage can that I moved to the bed for Rarity in the night. She didn't use it, but there wasn't any use in not being careful, right? Rarity's soft snores steadily droned on as I watched her chest rise and fall.

Yeah... I'd better get outta here.

I almost made it to the door when I heard something stir behind me.

"Ohhhh, my head," Too late now, buddy. "What happened last night?" I turned and leaned against the doorway.

"I don't know, darlin'. What's the last thing you remember?" She looked up slowly at me.

"What are YOU doing here?" she said, wincing from the pounding she probably felt in her head.

"Absolutely nothing," I replied. "Figured you needed someone to make sure you were okay. Should've known better. Anyways, you felt like it would be a good idea to drink yourself silly."

"I remember."

"Whatever the case, I figured you didn't need to die in your sleep or somethin'. I'll see ya later."

"Wait," she said, stopping my withdrawal from the room. She climbed out of bed and rubbed her temple gingerly. "Thank you.... John." I put on my sweetest smile and bowed dramatically.

"It was ALL my pleasure." I got an eye roll in response.

"No... John. I... I mean it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

There was a knock at the door and I turned to answer it. Fluttershy stood patiently in the hallway.

"Oh. I just thought I'd come see if Rarity is alright, but I didn't know you were already here." I smiled and stepped past her.

"It's fine, Fluttershy, I was just leavin'. She might still need ya."

"Oh... Okay." I turned to leave, but remembered a crucial detail.

"Hey, Shy? When's our train leavin'?"

"Um.. a couple of hours I think. Twilight is still in her room. I think she's awake... You could ask her," she said quietly.

"Sounds good. Take care, ladies."

Twilight and I made it to the train after breakfast down in the restaurant. The Friendship Express was empty besides us and we waited patiently for the rest of the girls to join us.

"So John," Twilight started cautiously, "How was Rarity this morning?" I sat quietly in my bench and stared out the window.

"Fine. Hungover, but she'll live."

"Oh... Good."

Ten minutes later and an especially bubbly Pinkie Pie bounded her way down the center aisle, coming to a stop in a nearby bench.

"Goooooood morning, friends!" She said gleefully, but stopped and looked around. "Where IS everypony?!" Twilight shrugged.

"I haven't seen Rarity all morning, Fluttershy was with her, and I think Rainbow and AJ are still eating." Pinkie shook her head vigorously from side to side.

"We'll NEVER get back like THAT!" A pink blur streaked away like greased lightning, leaving us alone again. I relaxed and leaned my head on the backrest. Twilight turned to look at me again. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. The trepidation was heavy on her face, but she finally asked what she wanted to know.

"Have... You know... You and Rarity... made up yet?" I glanced at her face again. She almost looked hopeful.

"No. Not really."

At that, we heard a few yells and general complaints from Dash and Rarity, Pinkie carried the rest of the girls onto the train. Applejack still had a mouthful of breakfast and tightened her hold on the pile of toast balanced precariously on her plate. Tossing her friends into the seats and dashing off towards the engine, Pinkie squealed gleefully.

"PONYVILLE, HERE WE COME!" she yelled back to us as she zipped away.

Not a moment later, the train lurched forward and Pinkie zipped right back, tossing herself into the seat between Fluttershy and Rarity with a snort and a giggle. I smiled and stretched out across my spot. Applejack munched slowly on her toast, warily eying Dash who grumbled about wanting more food. Even so, it wasn't long before the girls were chatting happily again. Twilight, of course, wanted to talk about the recent development with the changelings.

"I'm more than willing to do as the princess says, but I still think we should take some kind of preventative measure." Applejack nodded.

"Yeah. Them folks in Canterlot are plumb crazy if they think I'm just gonna take this layin' down. Them changelings always got somethin' up their sleeves!" It was Rainbow's turn to interject. She jumped defiantly to her hooves.

"Let 'em come! We can take whatever they got!" Twilight shook her head at the outburst.

"You heard the princess. We won't know where, when, or how many there will be. It will be when we least expect it." She paused and turned to look at me. "John, the princess said you were in charge of security. Do you know something that we don't?" I heaved a sigh and rested my elbows on my knees.

I looked up at the girls. All of them looked to me expectantly.

"The truth is, we know more. Twilight's brother and I have been tryin' to figure out what's been goin' on for a while, now. Recently, we got a break. The thing is, for y'alls safety and for this plan to work, you can't know exactly what's goin' on, but there are things you can do. Don't trust strangers. Don't leave yourself alone with anyone. Always travel with someone. Don't go anywhere alone. All the most basic things you can do to avoid anything. Stay in well-lit areas if you have to move at night. There are a couple troopers in town workin' with me, but you probably won't recognize 'em."

The girls were looking uneasy.

"Honestly, I wish we didn't have to put y'all through this at all, but just know that if anything goes wrong, we're gonna have it handled. I know trustin' me isn't easy, especially with recent events, but believe me when I say y'all are in good hands."

The car was silent. I glanced at each of them in turn, all anxiously looking at each other. Fluttershy's eyes met mine and a flash of fear showed on her face. I gave her a reassuring smile and leaned back again.

"Don't worry about anything, hun. I've got it."

I settled down in my seat and closed my eyes again. I heard the rustling of feathers and hoofsteps on the wooden floor before something soft jumped into the seat next to me and leaned against my shoulder. Fluttershy, still scared, was moving as close as she could to me just to feel even a little bit safer. I smiled and put an arm around her.

"Nothin's gonna happen to you, hun. Nothin' at all." The train's rhythmic bumps and noises soon had me snoozing gently. As my eyes drifted shut, one thought flashed through my mind.

Nothing was gonna happen to these girls.

Not if I can help it.

The train ride went smoothly enough and my eyes snapped open the moment the steam released from the engine once we reached the Ponyville Station. I stood and stretched out my legs and arms.

Fluttershy was still mildly frightened, bless her heart, and she stayed within arm's reach while we stepped off the train and onto the platform to wait for the others. The girls gathered around and looked about cautiously. Twilight finally broke the silence.

"I know there's not much we can do, but we can trust John and his team to keep us safe." Rainbow puffed out her chest and looked around defiantly.

"I still don't think we should need an escort. Nopony can catch me!" With that, she took off and sailed back to her home in the clouds.

"Well," Twilight continued, "Everypony needs to be careful, but we can't let this interfere with our lives." She pulled Pinkie towards town and asked her about Sugar Cube Corner as they walked away. Applejack waved at all of us and galloped towards her home, probably to talk to her family about what was happening, leaving me with Fluttershy and Rarity.

"Alright ladies, I'll walk y'all wherever you'd like to go." Rarity closed her eyes tight and touched her head.

"Well, I for one am tired of everything giving me the most dreadful headache. Even talking is simply unbearable." And yet she continues to talk... I shook my head and started through town towards the boutique, both girls in tow.

Once we reached the thickly crowded markets, my senses went to high alert. Nobody gave us a second look and no stares. Nothing obviously threatening, but I stayed vigilant. So far, we were okay. I did my best to steer the girls towards the outskirts of the crowd so I could keep an eye on everything easier.

Eventually, we came past an alley and my ears picked up the sounds of a scuffle coming from somewhere in the shadows between a couple of buildings. Rarity and Fluttershy didn't seem to notice anything until I started to reach for the small of my back.

"What's the matter, John?" Fluttershy whimpered quietly.

"Stay here. Don't move. If I yell, run to the boutique and stay there until I come to get you." Rarity nodded nervously and put a hoof against Fluttershy to keep her relatively calm. Slowly moving into the alley and lifting the back of my shirt, my fingers closed around the grip of my knife and I moved towards a shape in the darkness. I started to hear voices.

"What... What did I ever do to you?" a young voice cried.

"You were born," a cold voice replied. I heard the whacking of hooves against flesh and crying as my eyes came into focus on three large colts beating a younger, smaller one, his blue coat matted with blood. He curled into a ball, helpless against the onslaught of kicks from the large bullies. I took my hand off the knife and rushed in.

"HEY! Git offa him, you little shits!" The older looking, bigger colt pushed a hoof into the victim's side and looked over his shoulder.

"Get out of here, jackass. This doesn't concern you," he sneered. I could hear the young pegasus under him crying.

"Like hell it doesn't!"

I lunged forward as hoofbeats came galloping up behind me. Unaware of the new observers, I grabbed the leader by the mane and drug him off, kicking out at his accomplices.

"You little fuckers aughta be ashamed of yerselves! Pickin' on ponies smaller than you. The hell is wrong with you!?" I berated them until they were thoroughly cowed. The one I had by the hair flailed uselessly in the air. I turned him over in the air and beat his flank with the back of my hand.

"I'll bet your momma would be doin' the same thing if she was here to see this. Learn your lesson and don't EVER do this shit again!" I popped him a couple more times and dropped him on the ground He scurried off to join his cronies, tears streaking his angry face.

"I'm gonna tell my pa on you!" I scoffed.

"What? You gonna tell him that you were pickin' on a defenseless colt and someone bigger and badder than you came along to give you a taste of what you're dishin' out?! Get the fuck outta here and don't EVER let me hear about you doin' this shit again or I'll have you thrown in a cell!" The bully galloped off with his friends yelling something over his shoulder about how I was gonna be sorry.

"Fuckin' figures," I muttered to myself. After they were gone, I turned to see the young colt crying on the ground and casting a momentary glance towards me.

"Jesus, they really worked you over, son... Do they always do this?" He nodded and let out a wail. His school bags were in ruins on the ground, art supplies broken and lying around him. I turned again to see Fluttershy and Rarity looking at the scene in shock. Quickly snapping out of it, Fluttershy rushed forward to console the poor child.

"Oh Blue, I'm so sorry. There there," she cooed. I sidled up to Rarity and whispered to her.

"Y'all know this kid?"

"Yes," she replied. "His name is Blue something. We know he was badly bullied, but we didn't know to what extent, the poor dear."

"Wait!" Fluttershy called as the small pegasus dashed out of the alley past us, rushing away and wiping the tears from his bruised eyes. Slowly, Fluttershy walked over.

"Oh, I wish he would just talk to me. This has been going on for too long."

"Has anyone told his parents?" Fluttershy nodded.

"It seems like they don't care enough to help. At least not his father. It's so sad." I shook my head.

"Alright. Well, let's get to the boutique. I'll think of something to do about this."

Rarity insisted that we make ourselves at home while she went upstairs to nap and 'freshen up'. I walked around her kitchen making coffee while Fluttershy asked questions about the changelings.

"What can you tell us?" I shrugged and lit the burner under the old fashioned stove-top percolator.

"Honestly, I've told you just about everything. There are two other stallions in town that are with me working to keep y'all safe. I'll have you meet the one I assigned to you pretty soon." She looked surprised at my statement as I walked back to sit with her at the table.

"Assigned to me? Why?" I shook my head.

"No special reason. You're just all alone out there on the edge of the Everfree. Figure it would be good to have someone with you at all times out there." She seemed to accept that answer.

"Well... What can we expect?"

"At some point, they'll make a move. Don't know when, where, who... But we already caught two here in town." She looked alarmed.

"Really?! Where?"

"Well, the one you know about. The other I can't say." She frowned.

"How do you know they'll be coming?" I shook my head again.

"The one we captured told us. He's in the Canterlot Dungeon now."

"How did you get him to tell you?" I tensed.

"That's... privileged information. I'm sorry."

"You didn't have to hurt him, did you?" I paused to light a cigarette. Thinking better about even answering the question, I blew smoke at the ceiling and gave her a stoic look. "John... Did you?"

"I can neither confirm, nor deny that force was used in extracting the information we needed." She looked concerned.

"You've never spoken like that before. What's wrong?" Damn, she was good at this. Images of the tortured changeling flashed through my mind.

"Nothin'. It's just been a long couple of days." I got up to pour the steaming coffee after a few minutes of silence. Bringing the cups over, I smiled at Fluttershy. "Don't be worried, hun. Equestria's best are on this. Me included." She gave me a small smile and sipped from the hot mug.

"Good."

After a couple of hours reading the paper and chatting back and forth, Fluttershy and I tried to think of ways to help the young colt from this afternoon.

"You said his parents were indifferent. Do they really understand what's actually going on?" She shrugged.

"He always goes home in tears or bruised. Sometimes with blood in his fur, sometimes with black eyes. I've given up trying to get his father to listen to me. He sees it as his son just being weak. I think there's a whole case of abuse and neglect within the family as well as at school," she revealed. "It's slowly breaking him down."

"What about the school? Can't someone there help him?"

"Only on school property. Cheerilee does her best, but once they go home, there isn't much they can do." I thought for a moment.

"Maybe I can go talk to the classes. God knows I've got enough stories to tell."

"John, I couldn't see you being a bully at all... You're too good," she said with a warm, soothing smile.

"No, no. About being bullied." She almost looked like I made a joke.

"What, you? I don't believe you!" I nodded in answer.

"Up until I became an adult. Even a little afterwards. It can happen to anyone, Fluttershy, you should know that much. I think I even heard a story about Dash being bullied, just not really badly." Fluttershy thought for a moment about that before nodding slowly.

"Even Pinkie has been before. Did you ever hear about Gilda?" I shook my head. Flutters started to say something, but a voice from the other room made us look up.

"She was simply DREADFUL. The entire time, we didn't believe that she could be so bad, but she was especially mean to Pinkie. Pinkie even went as far as to throw a party for her in order to lift her spirits, but she finally exploded. No one has seen her since, but we will ALWAYS remember her. So gruff and angry. A true bully," Rarity stated from the doorway.

"I see you're back to your usual self," I said with a smile. She put her nose up and huffed.

"Yes, well it is amazing what a shower and a short nap will do for a pony's health," she said dismissively. I laughed and stood to get her a cup of coffee.

"True story," I said. "And I can say that from my own experience."

"Well, I'm sure you certainly have plenty of THAT," she said haughtily. I looked out the window at the slowly fading light.

"Hey Rarity, What do you say we walk Fluttershy home and come back here? It's gettin' awfully dark." She nodded curtly.

"You're right. Fluttershy, dear, we really should get going."

As one, we moved to the door and headed out into the late summer air. The cool breeze blew from the north, a sure sign that summer was coming to an end soon. I started to walk the girls towards Fluttershy's, but we ended up wandering through the town aimlessly as the night grew darker and darker talking about anything that came to mind. We were at the edge of the public playground when we finally turned towards the road to the cottage.

Rarity was happily chatting away to a smiling Fluttershy when I noticed that something wasn't right. I scanned the playground in the darkness. What was wrong? What didn't look right? Movement caught my eye and I froze. A small shape swung back and forth from the swing set in the center. I held up my hand to silence the girls. The creak of a rope under stress reached my ears and Rarity's ears perked up.

"What was that?" She thought out loud I moved slowly towards it until I recognized what it was.

"NO! FUCK, NO!"

I dashed forward as fast as my legs could carry me. The girls' cries of shock fell on deaf ears as I tore off towards the small pony hanging from the rope. In a single fluid motion I lifted him with one arm and quickly slashed the rope with my knife. Immediately, the young colt started coughing and sputtering, tears rolling down his blue cheeks flushed from the attempted strangulation. I laid him on the ground and pulled the rope over his head.

"Jesus Christ... Jesus, Blue... Blue, it's okay." The colt sobbed between coughs. Rarity and Fluttershy gasped audibly. "Blue... Blue are you alright?" More sobs answered me and the little colt put his head against my chest, crying into my shirt. I held him close and squeezed gently, shushing the poor kid. "Oh buddy, It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be fine, you're okay now. Nothing can get you. I'm here. Nothin's gonna hurt you anymore."

Rarity and I left Fluttershy's cottage quietly. We got the little pegasus to calm down and go to sleep after a while. Fluttershy promised to take care of him until we could contact someone at the castle to take him. We walked down the path without a word. After a few minutes, Rarity stopped.

"What's the matter?" She shook her head slowly. "Rarity? Are you okay?" Slowly, her lip began to quiver and she hung her head, her shoulders shaking as she cried silently. "Oh, darlin'..." I moved towards her and put my hand on her shoulder. She put a hoof around my neck and cried into my shoulder. Seems this is happening a lot these days. Fuck off. She went limp in my arms and cried uncontrollably. I ran my hand through her mane and breathed steadily. I could smell her perfume. A strange thought at this time, but I missed it so much.

"I... I don't know anymore, John," she said between sobs. "Why? Why would this happen? What could do this to... to a child?"

"It shouldn't ever happen, sweetie. No one should have to feel like that. It's okay, though. We were there for him. He can get help now. Everything will be fine." She was racked with a fresh wave of sobs and I knelt next to her, squeezing her tight. "I'm gonna do everything I can, sweetheart... Everything I can to stop stuff like this." I finally got her to calm down and we headed for her home. I stopped at her door and she turned to face me. Sniffing back another tear, she looked into my eyes.

"Please, John. Please don't leave us again. Not like that. Not in any way. We missed you so much. I missed you."

"I missed you." She looked up at me, concern shining in her eyes.

"Sometimes we don't know what you're thinking. I'm still frightened of the prospect of you leaving again. I know Fluttershy is, too." I turned to walk away, lighting a cigarette.

"Someone's gotta stick around to make sure y'all don't get into too much trouble." She stood in the doorway as I walked away into the night.

"John!" She called out suddenly. "John, would you please stay here tonight?"

"What's wrong?" I called back after a moment.

"I..." She started anxiously. "I would... just feel better if you stayed here." I walked back to her and leaned against the door frame.

"I'll be right in." Her smile told me everything I needed to know.

I snubbed out the cigarette on the ground and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Rarity sat down on her couch and looked at me expectantly.

"Well? Come sit. I wanted to ask you something."

"What would you like to know?" I asked as I moved to take the spot next to her.

"I... I get the feeling you knew what Blue was going through. Had you... had you ever... well..." I sighed.

"What? Been bullied? Wanted to kill myself? Seen someone kill themselves?" She grew noticeably uncomfortable. She tried to back out.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it... It just seemed like you were very... personally invested when it came to the colt and the bullies especially." I shrugged.

"What they were doin' was wrong. Everything about that was wrong. He was bruised, bloodied... All probably because he didn't fit in with everyone else. Whatever the case, doin' somethin' like that to a child is wrong. Someone so young shouldn't have to worry about shit like that."

"You were seething."

"Someone as innocent and vulnerable as that little guy... It reminded me of... well, of me."

"How?" she asked, leaning towards me in curiosity.

"A number of things. When we're young and can't take care of ourselves things can happen. Terrible things. Things you don't bring up in polite company. At any rate, it's why I hate people that hurt children. It's crime that should never go unpunished. Violating the innocence of someone that hasn't even had the chance to even live..." She thought for a moment.

"I remember you telling me... a while ago... the reason you do the things you do is because no one else will. Or can. I think I understand. If you hadn't done something, maybe nobody would have."

"Yeah. The question is, what are we goin' to do now?"

"I... I think you have more experience with this than I do." I scratched my chin for a moment. Rarity looked at me harder. "John... have you... ever thought of doing that?"

"... Yes."

"Why?"

"Sometimes... Sometimes living just hurts too much. Moving hurts. Thinking hurts. When you think, you just remind yourself that everything you do is useless. You're a failure. Don't try anything because you'll only fuck it up worse than it already is. It's terrible. When someone feels bad enough to try and take their life, they need help. They hurt. Bad. I used to stand at the edge of cliffs and wonder if it was worth stepping away. I drank to feel okay... if just for a few hours."

"That's terrible." I decided to tell her something that no other living soul had ever known.

"I... I got a call from a young woman one day. I knew her. I slept with her on a few occasions. She told me that I was going to be a father." Rarity cocked her head to one side.

"I didn't realize you had a family. You never talk about them." I sighed and frowned.

"I don't have a family. After she told me that, she went and had a surgery to... to get rid of the baby. I didn't know how to feel." Rarity was silently watching me. "That night, I put a shotgun in my mouth. I was gonna spray my brains across the walls of my bedroom. I took the safety off, loaded a shell... Put my lips around the muzzle and pulled the trigger. Click. I threw it on the ground and walked out.

"I found out later that the primer was bad. A one in a million chance. I shudder every time I think about it. I know about how bad a person can feel. I know about the horrible things people do to each other. I gotta help him, Rare... I have to." She smiled and put a hoof on my knee.

"You can't save the world... But you can save somepony. You saved him. You saved Scootaloo, too." I gave a nervous laugh.

"Don't forget about the deer that nearly got me killed." Rarity laughed out loud.

"That was a time I do NOT want to remember. You saved Fluttershy that day, too." I nodded.

"I might get another chance to save y'all again pretty soon."

"I know you will. It's in your nature." I don't know what came over me, but I started to ramble.

"When I was in war, we had somethin' we would tell each other." Rarity looked at me, interested. "If you can't be safe, be deadly. If I have to, I will. To keep you safe. I have to. I'll die for y'all, but I'd rather not. A wise man once said 'No one ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making some other poor bastard die for his.'" Rarity was quiet for a moment.

"Well, this conversation took a dark turn."

"Sorry."

"I think it's time for bed. You still have your bed up in my room if you want it." I nodded.

"That will do fine."

The vehicle got closer. It was a small car, moving at a good clip. I signaled to the man with the spotlight to flip it on and point it at our flag we set up. Hey, Americans here. Stop the fucking vehicle, please? Philips began swinging his chem-light. We could hear the car's engine pick up and increase in pitch. Shit, he was gonna run it. I grabbed our megaphone and started yelling what I could remember in Pashto.

"WADAREGA YAA DEE WULIM!!!! WADAREGA YAA DEE WULIM!!! STOP YOU SILLY SUMBITCH!!!"

The car still increased in speed. I turned to look at our .50 gunner.

"Warning shots." Seven rounds left the M2, two of which were tracers fired directly over the vehicle. It continued its increase in speed. "MOTHERFUCKER! STOP IT! TAKE IT OUT!"

As one, the entire group lit up the little car. Sparks flying, glass shattering, and smoke rising from the engine, the car careened off the road, hit a small sand hill and rolled five times before landing upside down a mere twenty-five yards away. Philips was still swinging his chem-light. I put my hand on his shoulder and stopped him. If the look on his face wasn't just fear, it was "I think I shit myself."

I grabbed four other guys to go with me to the car and search it. We started the slow approach; rifles at the ready and both eyes-

I jolted awake and lept from my bed. Rarity's screams were loud and shrill.

"JOHN! JOHN, DO SOMETHING!"

I ripped the knife from its sheath and jumped into her enormous bed, throwing myself between her and the room, scanning for targets. Anything that could be dangerous.

"Where?!" She blindly pointed with a hoof at the closet door standing slightly ajar. I pounced from the bed and threw myself against the wall next to the door, steeling myself for a fight.

1... 2... 3!

Throwing open the door the rest of the way, I stood knife at the ready only to see darkness. I stood there tensed for a few seconds before taking a step into the small space. With a squeak and a squeal, the largest squirrel I'd ever seen jumped off the clothes rack onto my shoulder and bounded out of the open window it came in through. My shoulders slumped and my heart raced. Slowly, I turned towards Rarity positioned on the bed and scowled.

"Uh... heh heh. Sorry?"

"Mhm." I let myself fall back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling waiting for my heart to go back to normal.

"I'm really sorry, John."

"Okay. Go to sleep."

"Jooooohn," she whined. "I'm reaaaaally sorry. I didn't know what it was."

"It's fine. Go to sleep." She was quiet for a few more seconds.

"John?"

"Mmm?"

"Will you come over here and sleep?"

"... Why?"

"Because... I'm scaaaared," she pled. I was unsympathetic.

"It was a squirrel."

"I know... I'm just scared."

Five minutes later and I was in bed with Rarity, my arm around her while she snoozed peacefully. The scent of her shampoo wafted into my nose and pleased my senses. For a moment before I closed my eyes, everything was good again.

Author's Note

This chapter comes at a time where bullying is once again at the fore-front of the Brony community. Too late do things like this get taken care of and the people that suffer for it are the ones left behind when someone makes the tragic decision to end their lives because of bullying. This chapter was inspired a year ago by a story written by a friend of mine. The character is his and I would credit the man for it if he wanted the credit. Its relevance is seen today in the faces of small children, teens and adults alike.
At the time of this chapter being published, Michael Morones is still unconscious and in serious condition due to a thankfully interrupted attempt to hang himself from his bunk bed after enduring constant torment from classmates simply for liking a show that we all know and love.
This is where I stand on my soap-box and ask you all to do the world a service. Witnessing someone being bullied or abused is one thing many of us if not ALL of us have done. Next time, step in. Stop it. No one should have to endure the pain it causes, regardless of who they are.
'All that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.' -Edmund Burke