The Valedictorian Speech That Went Dark

(I'm writing the ending here before the beginning. The beginning is too much even for someone like me.)

Diana stands there, speechless.

In the audience, she saw Klobber, her ultimate nightmare that stole her soul.

But in her audience were really waiting, lost little kids who needed her guidance.

From a girl who didn't even know she existed.

She speaks now, and she can't stop.

"I want to come before you today... To say that I have been through it all, and if you think you're alone, you're not. But if I'm honest, I've been alone all my life. I've wanted to let people in, but they shut me out, and I blamed myself. But I don't want you to blame yourself."

"Because I blame you. YOU. YOU KILLED DARRYL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Her audience is fading away, and she realized that she's dead. It was only her and Klobber all along.

Her dad was standing there, grinning, holding up the belt she used to strangle herself.

"No..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Darkness, lights out. She's in the abyss, and she has nothing, it was all a lie. She's crying softly due to be scared to face her own screams...

"Diana, you're overreacting."

"Wear a bra, bitch."

"Ungrateful."

And then Diana couldn't help speaking before she could call upon the name of Jesus.

"DARRRRRRRYLLLLL!!!"

Arms fold around her, and suddenly, she was not afraid.

Darryl was there; he always was.

But she knew life as she knew it would never be the same.