Free

 She had done everything right. She had done everything th way she was supposed to. The way she was expected. An honorary student,she had finished college at the top of her class. Got a good job. Always the first to come,always the last to leave. An exemplary employee. Her husband had met "their" high standards,as well. He was "going places". They bought a house in the suburbs together,a big car,they even got  a dog. Everything as it was supposed to be. As expected.

 At times she felt suffocating. She didn't pay attention at first. She just kept pushing. After all that's what she was supposed to do. Then there was the incident with her husband. She walked in on him with another woman. "You're too perfect",was his excuse,"I can't keep up". And then there was her therapist this morning. He gave her some pills. They were to help her "hold it together" under all this pressure. So she could keep on pushing. Keep doing what she was expected.

 She found herself sitting outside the drugstore,pills at hand,crying her eyes out. "They" had told her it was all going to be all right in the end. She was going to find happiness. Wasn't "happiness" overrated after all? What mattered was to keep on going,keep on pushing. And everything was going to be all right.

 But everything wasn't all right. In fact,nothing was all right. She got herself up,tossed the pills iin the bin,and started walking. With every step,with every breath,she felt herself pulling away from "them". After a while she could finally hear herself think. There was a voice inside her,muffled for so long,but gradually growing louder and louder. She could hear it,at last.

 She kept on walking,she didn't know for how long or how far,stripping herself from all the burden weighing her down,feeling lighter with every step,with every breath,until she found herself naked on a bridge,feeling the crisp air against her skin,cleansing her,lifting her. She was free at last. Or at least she was going to be,as soon as she explained to the two policemen approaching her what this was all about!

                                                                                                                                          Written by Ms Paragon