LOST IN A HAZE

Alex's world was crumbling around him. Mia's words kept echoing in his mind, "I don't know if I can keep going like this." He felt helpless, unsure of how to save his friend.

Days turned into weeks, and Mia's behavior became more erratic. She would lash out at Alex and Jake, her anger and frustration boiling over. Alex tried to be patient, to understand what Mia was going through, but it was hard.

One night, Alex received a text from Mia, asking him to meet her at the old oak tree. Alex's heart was racing as he arrived at the park. Mia was already there, her eyes sunken, her skin pale.

"I'm sorry, Alex," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry for everything."

Alex's eyes welled up with tears as he realized that Mia was saying goodbye. "No, Mia, don't say that," he pleaded, his voice shaking. "We'll get through this together."

But Mia just shook her head, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I'm tired, Alex. I'm so tired of fighting."

As Alex watched, Mia turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness. Alex was left standing alone, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

He didn't know what to do, where to go. All he knew was that he had lost Mia, and he didn't know how to get her back.

The days that followed were a blur of sadness and desperation. Alex and Jake searched for Mia everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found.

They scoured the town, talking to anyone who might have seen her. They checked her favorite haunts, the places she used to go to escape. But there was no sign of Mia.

As the days turned into weeks, Alex's hope began to dwindle. He felt like he was losing himself, like he was drowning in a sea of despair.

And then, one night, Alex received a call from an unknown number. "Alex, it's Mia," a faint voice whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Alex's heart skipped a beat as he realized that Mia was in trouble. "Mia, where are you?" he shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation.

But the line went dead, and Alex was left standing alone, his heart racing with fear.

What had happened to Mia? Where was she? And would Alex ever see his friend again?

The uncertainty was suffocating, crushing Alex beneath its weight. He felt like he was losing his mind, like he was trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

As the days turned into weeks, Alex's world continued to crumble. He lost interest in school, in his friends, in everything that used to bring him joy.

All he could think about was Mia, and the desperate hope that she was still alive.

And then, one morning, Alex received a package in the mail. Inside, he found a small notebook, filled with Mia's handwriting.

As he flipped through the pages, Alex's heart broke into a million pieces. The notebook was Mia's goodbye, her final message to the world.

"I'm sorry," she wrote. "I'm so sorry for everything. I love you, Alex. I love you, Jake. But I have to go."

Alex felt like he had been punched in the gut, like all the air had been sucked out of him. He stumbled backwards, collapsing onto the floor.

The notebook slipped from his fingers, the pages scattering across the room. Alex didn't care. He just lay there, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

He had lost Mia, and he didn't know how to go on without her.