A rock cut through the air and connected with the side of his face. He stood there motionless and the rock fell to the ground. The sound of laughing sent chills down his spine as the group of kids disappeared around the corner. Blood began dripping down the side of his face but he ignored it and continued on toward his house. For him that was nothing, nothing compared to what he would go through when he got home. He would rather have a million rocks thrown at him from random strangers than endure the pain of being home. As he neared his house his body began trembling uncontrollably.

He grabbed the door knob, took a deep breath, then opened it slowly. His mother was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the living room with a half empty bottle of wine in her hand. She took one last swig of wine then stood up from her chair.

“C-come here.” She wobbled and he walked over to her with his head held down. The sound of her hand against his cheek was like the crackle of thunder from that of a mighty storm. He bit his lip and his body quivered despite his efforts to silence it. A crimson red droplet fell from her hand and she glared at his bloodied cheek. After a long silence and the numbness in his cheek faded, she finally began to speak.

“You deserved that you know.” She hissed then grabbed his face as she forced him to look into her glossy eyes. “F*gs like you don’t deserve life.” Her words penetrated his frail body; then she released him from her cold grasp. She turned away from him and disappeared into her room. He watched as her bedroom door slammed shut then he too retreated to his room.

He sat down in front of his bed and as he opened his drawer, tears began rolling down his cheeks. He pulled out a small handgun he had taken from his dad’s gun cabinet and pressed it against his forehead. A shot rang out and his body fell to the floor.

The next morning his empty shell was taken away and his mother was left breathless. His face would be all over the news, labeled as another victim due to the endless hatred and bigotry supplied by those around him. Yet the world sits idle watching it all transpire right before their very eyes. How many innocent people will have to take their lives before the world wakes up?