Hey,

Please pick up. 

I know it’s been a while since we last talked, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you. It’s been two years since we last saw each other, and a lot of things have changed since then. In my life, things have been going great: my grades have been up, my relationship is stable, and my health is better than ever. I’m sorry to bore you with details, but it’s just been so long since I’ve talked to you.
I can imagine the blush in your cheeks as you get excited, the light in your eyes shining brighter as your voice raises its tone, and your legs bend in preparation for your building excitement. Whenever I would tell you about the things that made me happy, you were always my biggest supporter. 

As I think of you, I can’t help but imagine where you are. When I remember your charismatic demeanor, I imagine the new friends you must’ve made. When I remember the honesty you spoke with, I imagine the supportive community you must’ve found. When I think of what you mean to all of us, your friends and family, I can only imagine what a gift you are to your new peers.

Logan, please know that while you may be on some new adventures, living to the fullest, we have not forgotten you. When you think of your legacy, please imagine the love you bestowed upon us and all of the good times we shared. 

Despite your absence, you still live on through our memories and the rituals we honor them with.

Thank you for your time, 

I hope we find each other again.

Amongst the greenery, in between the pines, there you are.

 Your brick exterior remains strong despite the extinguishing of your motivations. As sad as you are, as hopeless as you are, I can’t help but acknowledge your strength.

While some may view you as dead, I can’t help but disagree. When your spirit left your body, your body continued on. When your last family cut you out of their lives, you didn’t collapse.

As you sank into your depression and dwelled on your past, life seemed to speed up. Around you individuals gathered, sprouted, and shared themselves with you. Through them, you slowly began to change. In their eyes, you aren’t a mere substation. To them you are a shelter, an icon,  a canvas of liberation.

While you may not be as busy as you used to be, aren’t you proud of yourself? While you may have perished, you aren’t gone. Your legacy is letting you live to the fullest. You have evolved. While you may never again feel the bustle of diligent workers, you have still achieved something many can only wish for. 

By giving up your past and handing yourself over to decay, you have soared above your past limitations. You are no longer just an answer to a demand. Instead, you have matured into a palace of hope. By accepting your fate, you have become a light in a world that’s lost itself.

First they killed you. Then they trapped you. When your soul was preparing to rest, they tethered you like a flag unto their land. 

 They advertised your corpse as a fountain for opportunity. When worms began to writhe on your skin, your captors were content. When the vultures came to claim you, they smiled and watched you get torn apart. For two years, you were stuck in that hell, broken and desperate.

However, as you again neared the precipice of freedom, they resurrected you. They killed all your tormentors and left you in limbo. To secure the integrity of your spirit, they saturated you in chains. As their new slave, you were forced to suffer in silence. Even as you tried to scream in desperation, your voice betrayed you. 

Then, when you gave them your back, they began to fix you. They tried to hide your bleeding by mowing your fields, closing your mangled doors, and disposing of the garbage left on your campus. The scars on your back, however, stayed. The shattered glass, the imprints of joyous stickers, and the rusting playground equipment all told tales of a brighter past.

As your tears are shunned and whipped away, there is nothing we can do. They have won. They own every aspect of your soul. The games they play with your mortality is something we can’t impede. 

But please, don’t lose hope. While your suffering may continue uninterrupted, know that your torture has not been in vain. Through the memory of your tragedy, we hope to learn. Forgive us, for it is not our place to save you. But know that through the death of their determination, you will be reborn. In the end, life will go on.