The phone call

Aria: well I think I would do whatever I think is necessary to save my child. But that's also dependent.

Jack: dependent on what?

Aria: dependent on what particular danger the child is in. there are three kinds of danger that your child

could be in. Danger of a threat; maybe it finds itself in a bad situation like a 6-year-old kid running

toward a moving truck on the road. your child could also be in danger of itself; Imagine your little boy

couldn't stop doing drugs. Eventually, he becomes a danger to himself. And worst, your child could be in

danger of you. yeah like that's actually a thing. That's actually crazy like…. Your very presence, your

very… very personality, your actions, could actually be endangering your child mahn.

Jack: that's true… that's true and that… that's crazy. (chuckles a little). That's crazy.

Aria: when it comes to danger of a threat, of course I'd run faster than I could ever believe just to save

my kid. Like I would be so fast. I could outrun a Lamborghini for real.

Jack: But that's not the only kind of threat is it. I mean if your child was missing, and you were sure it

could be in danger, what will you do? Will you meet the authorities and just leave it do them?

Aria: God no I won't. (laughs). I would not. But I will crush them with so much pressure to provide my

kid.

Jack: tell me… how do you think a parent should cope with the nonchalance of the authorities. Like how

do you go through the torture of just sitting by, waiting to do nothing, while the people responsible for

finding your baby girl go to bed at night. Wake up in the morning, sip a cup of coffee and make

halfhearted efforts to finding your kid. And they expect you to just sit down and hope.

I don't believe that parents should be restricted from doing whatever they believe is necessary to

finding their kids. I mean think about this… how can you value someone that you have never had any

memories with, enough to risk your life for that person. For that child. If your child was missing,

shouldn't you have the right to walk up to anyone and question them? if you suspected someone and

had a reasonable reason to suspect, shouldn't you be allowed to watch, follow, stalk, threaten even, do

something-- Just something to find out where your child is? Cause the law won't do it. the law wouldn't

allow it. you can't question a person without a warrant, you can't follow anyone around, you can't

bloody do anything at all to find your kid. Instead, you leave it to the police. Leave it to the law. Well

does the law understand that sometimes they're so goddam slow? For Christ sake, your daughter could

be crying out for help… crying out for you and you won't be… you…. (voice breaking). You won't be

there. And you won't make it in time. "there's nothing for a man to do, but sit down and wait for the

law? Wait for the law to take glory for catching a criminal, while the hospital pronounces your child

dead".

Aria: I understand how you feel. But I need you to try a third person perspective. What will you do, if

your child was suspected of murder. And a parent starts stalking your child. An angry father stops your

boy on the way home, and starts questioning him about the death of his own child. How do you think

this angry father would react when your boy doesn't give him the answers he is looking for? What would

you do if your child was in danger? In danger of someone trying to save his own child.

You see, the law could never understand how much you feel for your child, how much you care, how

much you want to save your child, but as a person who's loved one could fall victim to the desperate

and emotional actions of someone, what will you prefer, the calm and focused mind of experienced

people who train everyday on the many ways to help people while maintaining the safety of others, or a

society where anyone can do whatever they want to anyone they want in an attempt to save their own?

I think it is okay to feel desperate every single second your child is in need of you, but it's also wise to

understand that taking matters into your own hands isn't a bad thing to do, it's just the wrong thing to

do, and it actually endangers innocent people just like yourself.

Jack: I guess I understand.

(Aria's phone rings) …...

Jack: are you gona pick it?

(Aria stares at the phone for 5 seconds before ending the call)

Aria: Nah. I'm more interested in this conversation

Jack: (chuckles). Oh okay then. So what was the other type of danger you mentioned? Umm yeah,

danger of itself? A child being in danger of itself.

Aria: you know, believe it or not, I actually used to hate myself.

Jack: really?

Aria: (chuckles)… yeah. Yeah actually. I was this deviant kid you know. I didn't really have the best high

school experience. Got bullied…. A lot. I had to start acting like a bully myself so I don't get picked on

you know. And… and that made me feel sick because I had to watch other people get hurt, and act like I

was okay with it. in support. My closest friend would confide in me, on how she really hated how the

bullies acted. You know, innocent gossips and all. To stay safe, I had to give suggestions on the best kids

to get bullied. One day, I ran out of suggestions and I thought maybe I'd just sell out my best friend just

this once. After all its for my safety. So I told them about every little gossip I had with her, but I made it

look like I overheard her talking about it with someone else. Unfortuneatly for me, they did not take

those gossips very well. They made me lure her into the class hallway just by the stairs. They tried to

bully her but unlike me… she was brave. She—she was brave enough to fight back. But when she

realized she couldn't fight back anymore, she cried out for help and tried to run. I pushed her back and

she uh… she… fell back toward the staircase and hit the back of her head, hard against the edge of the

bottom stair.

Jack: I'm sorry—

Aria: she uh—she didn't make it. by the time they made it to the hospital, she was already—anyway, we

all denied having anything to do with it. there was no actual witness you know. I—I couldn't bare how it

made me feel, so I had to find a way out of the guilt. Then came the self-harm. It went on for about 3

years till my mom discovered the scars. Scratches, open wounds all over. Broke her heart. She couldn't

sleep for days, barely had any rest in months. What would you do if your child was in danger… danger of

itself? My mom would never sleep you know. She would uh.. she would stay up all night watching me

sleep, took me everywhere she went. Now she couldn't afford therapy so she became my personal

therapist. She did everything—now when I tell you everything, I mean everything. I would wait... after an entire day of her watching over me.. I would wait when she finally slept of, and then sneak off to the

kitchen, and I'd pick up a knife and…(voice breaking). Eventually she discovered that too. I would hear

her crying soflty when she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. I think back to those times, and I still

have no idea how I got out of that. I always thought, what could my mom do to really help me.? How

could I stop?

Jack: what would you do if your child was in danger.. danger of itself? Well you do everything you

possibly can. You work your ass off every single minute of the day, everyday, to find out ways to help the

child. Even when you don't see any results. Even when you're sure that its not gonna change anything—

you continue. You don't stop. You never stop. Because that's all you can do. If you ever find yourself

crying in the middle of the night, trying to figure out how to save your child from itself, you should know

one thing…. Its not about whether its going to work out or not, its about what you do even when its not

working out. If you love your child, you love that child through thick and thin—now I mean thick and

thin. It might not get better, but at least you try.

Aria: I just wish my mom knew how confused I was, and how much I appreciated her efforts every single

day. I wish I could explain how I loved her for everything she did. The problem was, I did those things to

get out of the pain I was feeling. Now when she would catch me self-harming again, and it breaks her

heart, I would feel even more sad, and look for that escape again. And she would catch me again, and it

goes on and on like that. for me, I got better somehow, and I can finally say how I felt. But for many

others, they don't always come out. They always stay in the loop for one reason or the other. But if I

could just reach out to all those suffering parents, I would share my experience with them and make

them know that their kids love and appreciate them. they just can't express it. what would you do if

your child was in danger of itself?

Jack: I guess I'd do what a parent has to do.

Aria: but what will you do if your child was in danger of you?

Jack: to be honest… I don't know. I actually don't know.

Aria: well me too. Its impossible to let go, especially when you love the child beyond anything. So yeah, I

don't know. I guess in the end, we'll all face the consequences of our emotions.

Jack: Whether it means going to heaven or hell.

Aria: but why though?

Jack: why what?

Aria: why do we have to go to hell? Why do we face eternal punishment for mistakes made in a short

lisfespan? And isn't the purpose of punishment to make a person understand the weight of his wrongs

and change? What is the point of punishment, if you'll never again have the chance to repent?

Jack: I'm sorry but I have to ask –are you high? Because if you are, I defeninatelty need some of that

stuff (laughs).

Aria: (while laughing), no hear me out. Hear me out. Can you hear me out? (laughs).

Jack: okay, okay. Let me have it.

Aria: change is constant right? In truth, the beauty in life is that it ends right. If a movie never ended,

then you would you still like it? no!! meaning that all things have to end right? So in the light of the after

life, heaven or hell, how can you live for billions of years, and you haven't evem started? In truth, if you

knew you would never die, you wouldn't value your life anymore. It is the understanding that you are

mortal and don't have time, that creates the urgency and desire to get up in the morning and make the

best of your day. go to work, perform important activities. What is the need to get up in the morning, if

you knew you had all the time in the world, and eternity more? if you lived for eternity, you loose the

value of living. But I think that the only way to live for eternity, is if we didn't know we were living for

eternity. As an eternal being, the only way to enjoy life would be to live short life spans for different

experiences, broken down into what you know is the limit of years it could take before you start feelimg

like you have lived for too long. Those years could be in short spans like 50,60 or maybe 100 years. And

then, you can clear your memories for each experience. Each life span. since you do not know about

your past memories, everyexperice, even if repeated, is new.

But then whats the point of living for eternity of you would never be yourself again. And when I say that,

I mean if you would never have any of your memories to reminisce. Well the solution to that would be

to find a way to show any one of those memories to yourself during each life span. maybe when you

sleep, you could experience a memory from any of the old life spans. But even in that, you would have

to mix them with memories of that current life span, or some other things, just so this new version of

yourself doesn't find out of suspect that these experiences are of a previous life span. because if that

happens, then they might realise they live for eternity, and loose the value of life. If you did this, then

you could live forever, and enjoy every experience.

Jack: imagine if you lost a loved one, and knew that they would be just fine. That this is just a temporary

experience, and they would start over again in a different reality. With a different experience. It would

hurt less to believe that the poor people on the streets who starve are just going through a random

experience. It would help if you believed that the sociopathic sex offender was just a good person

spiritually, but acts based on what his current life span experience has shaped him into. It would hurt a

lot less if you knew that even though love didn't work out well for you in this reality, it would in the

next. That if life wasn't the best now, it would be next time. And there definitely would be a next time.

How do you cope with life otherwise?

(Aria's Phone rings)

Jack: are you gonna get that?

Aria: (stares at it again, before hanging up.). nah.. i'd rather have this conversation.

Jack: well I guess I better head back home. Its getting late.

Aria: sure that's fine.

She drops her half finished cigarette on the floor and stumps her feet on it. she grabs her trash and

heads to the back where the trash dump is. Jack escorts her to the back. As she threw the trash bag into

the dump, she thanks jack for keeping her company. As they head back toward the front, jack can clearly

see her jacket now. A jean jacket with dark coloured letters at the middle of the back. Bold letters "G.B".

her phone rings again. This time, aria decides to pick. "Hello" she said. (Voice on the phone)—"hello

aria. I don been calling your line for how long now. Why aint you picking little gurl? You don't want to piss off your older brother again now do ya HA.. HA.. HAAA.....". I told you, I'll be working all night

today. Stay in doors, and don't come out. I'll be home by 8:30. She hangs up.

Jack had heard the strange laugh and crooked voice. He didn't really care, but instinctively, he just

asked. Who was that on the phone? Ohh its my eldest brother, Noah. My brothers came by a little while

ago and it looks like they've got themselves in some kind of trouble again. Asked if they could stay a

while. Hey.. what time did they come over again? Ohh about a month ago or so. Jack instantly felt the

urge to ask…"whats the meaning of G.B? your jacket. It says G.B". oh yeah.. it's a family thing. Gatlin

Boys. Yeah I know… I'm not a boy so…

I really hate those boys though. My family isn't something to brag about. I changed my name so I didn't

have to go through the mud theyre putting themselves in all the time. (laughs) I don't even know why

I'm telling you this.

Noah? As in Noah jenkriz? Your brother is Noah jenkriz?

Yeah. Why?

Where is he? Where is Noah jenkriz. Tell me please.

Aria tries to run off but she is held firmly by the hand.

Common tell me. Hey—hey!! Where is my daughter.

I'm sorry I have to go. Let go! (Struggles hard)

Murdererrrrr!!!!

jack pushes her, and as she looses her balance and falls backward, her head makes a hard thud as it hits

the edge of one of the left over construction bricks by the side of the building. As jack pauses to process

what had just happened, he rushes straight toward her and searches her jacket. He draws out her wallet

in panic. Goes through her ID's and finds her house address. He leaves the bloody body one the floor

and makes a run for his car. He drives off crying. Why is he cryiiing? Why cant he stop crying? Did he do

the right thing? Did I do the right thing?

WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU FOUND OUT YOUR CHILD WAS IN DANGER?