<3:44 pm, Saturday>

Emptiness was all he felt anymore.

The unbearable heartache that had built up inside of him over the past few years had subsided to only a throbbing, indistinguishable, and utter darkness.

The death of their sister hit them hard. The lack of dance competition updatesand Facebook posts of her and her girlfriend was disheartening. If Tyler and his remaining siblings were distant before, they had become completely disconnected now.

His father tried to keep in touch, but eventually lost interest in the mess that had become of his son. Zach was somewhere in the west coast with his best friend Ashley- oh how that name still brings shivers to Tyler- studying philosophy, actually making something of himself .

Jay was healthy as far as Tyler know, but was taking the death as hard at the rest being only nine when the tragedy occurred.

It wasn't until Madison's suicide, the second youngest of four siblings at seventeen- that Tyler's crumbling world finally collapsed and left him with an ultimatum.

Get better, or pull the trigger.

On the brink of turning twenty-one, Tyler was questioning whether every cent he'd paid to pursue a career he didn't even enjoy had been worth it.  His life was a waste at this point- he was too far gone to be saved from the hole of dissatisfaction he'd driven himself into.

It felt like Tyler was constantly walking in the dark- stumbling blindly through college and life. He'd chosen a career in psychology because he thought he would be happier doing something successful. "It'll get better," he told himself. "If you do this, then you'll finally be happy. This is what you want. This is what you need."

But now, taking classes for his master's degree in forensic psychology and a shitty job analyzing crime scenes and people in mental hospitals, all he felt was a growing numbness in his chest. His already severe social anxiety worsened to the point where the only friends he had were his roommate and college friend Patrick and his boyfriend Pete who would only speak to him to remind him when the rent was due.

He wasn't happy this way. He'd never be happy this way. Or rather, he will never be happy, ever. He was too fucked up to have a happy ending.

There was a hollow point space between his ribs that cast him into an existential dip. The razor sharp nightmares never ceased- Tyler would wake up in a cold sweat, terrified to go back to sleep. It was like he was driving himself insane.

It drove him to the forest about a mile from his apartment complex, to the tallest tree he could find that was far from the edge of the forest. Tyler didn't want a poor civilian to see him up there, a sobbing wreck second guessing ever even trying.

Tyler climbed higher and higher, one foot after the other. One branch, then to another. He climbed higher and higher, suddenly feeling like he was being chased and if he didn't go faster it would all fail.

A small smile crept on his lips as he reached the beginning of the thick leaves, a mix of horror and relief battling in his stomach. He was definitely going through with it this time. There was no backing out on this one.

Who would find him? What if someone found him and stopped him from jumping before he could go through with it? What if he changed his mind? If someone came by he didn't know if he would be able to lie and say he's not up there to jump off.

Even if he did, surely they'd see straight through his lie and call the police, and then he'd have to explain everything to them and he'd be locked up like the other "crazy" people.

Then he remembered what sent him there. The isolation, the rejection, the fear. His anxiety had turned him into a laughing stock. Even his friend and some of his coworkers, at least the ones who acknowledge that he exists, call him a freak.

No one cared enough to notice him, let alone to come around and stop him.

He didn't leave a note. It would be like he never actually existed. The world would keep spinning, no one would notice him vanishing.

When he reached the highest branch he could, the sun was shining blindingly on Tyler's face, warming up the tears that had gone cold on his cheeks. If he was there for any other reason, he would've enjoyed the beauty. He blinked a few times, looking down from the branch he sat on.

The flowers on the base of the tree were only small white and yellow dots. Thin green vines lined the trunk and soft twitters of birds echoed in the empty forest. Taking in a deep breath, Tyler hoped it would be high enough to do the job. It was about what, thirty, forty feet? He couldn't tell. But it didn't matter. Not anymore.

Tyler would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. He was higher than he'd ever climbed before, and he was terrified of heights. But the pain building inside of him with every panic attack, every breakdown in a public bathroom, he couldn't take it anymore. And not even the medication could make it better. He just needed it all to stop.

He closed his eyes, feeling the branch creak underneath him. If he didn't jump, the branch would surely give way before he could make it to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Tyler leaned backwards, feeling his weight slip off the branch and into the brisk, cold air. His stomach flew to his throat and all the breath left his lungs.

His eyes shot open and he gasped for air, seeing the tears fly off his face. Tyler managed to raise his hand, reaching for the sky as it shrunk to a minuscule size. He got tunnel vision and for a moment all he could see was the light dancing around his fingers.

Underneath him, Tyler felt the ground get closer and closer and closer until-

Thump.

If you fall in a forest and nobody's around, did they ever make a sound?