“Have you ever thought about killing yourself?”

                Tommy was thinking quick as he tried to analyze the situation. He wanted to fit in with these people, so every answer carried a certain amount of weight. “Well, ya know, it’s crossed my mind a few times,” he cringed as he said the words, hoping he had guessed correctly.

                “Yeah, me too. I feel that anyone who truly thinks about life has thought about suicide at some point or another,” Kristy said holding her head up high. “After all, suicide is a right we’re all born with, and no one can take that away.”

                As the daylight began to fade, Tommy, Kristy, and the other five drew closer to the fire. Tommy hoped he had made a good impression on them and was now considered ‘in.’ while he edged his way closer to Kristy he was struck from behind and everything went black as he hit the ground in a pile of helplessness.

                When he came to he realized both his hands were bound, one to each person on either side of him. The whole group was sitting around the fire in a circle, each attached to the next by handcuffs.

                “Tonight we take our lives in defiance of ourselves, our parents, and society,” Kristy was saying. She lifted her glass, and the others followed. Tommy noticed a cup resting on the ground before him, and he began to understand what was about to happen.

                “Pick up your glass Tommy,” Kristy motioned with the gun she was holding with her other hand. “If you don’t join us I’ll be forced to send you to the next world myself.”

                “What are you talking about? You guys are crazy! Why would you want to kill yourselves?”

                “You said you had thought about suicide. If you’ve thought about it, you’ve certainly entertained the idea of actually doing it. It’s the ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate ‘Fuck You’ to the world. Everyone, let’s drink. You first Tommy,” Kristy fired a shot into the air and Tommy reached for his glass. He began to drink and the other five followed in kind.

                After a few minutes, everyone began to choke and grab at their sides. Straining to breathe, a pinkish foam appeared at their mouths. Tommy and Kristy’s gurgling sounds slowly turned to laughter as they stood up and looked around at the others while they quickly lost the fight to live.

                Retrieving a key from her pocket, she unlocked her handcuffs and walked over to Tommy to release him.

                “That worked perfectly,” he said.

                “On to the next town, the next school. How many does that make now? Thirty-five? Forty? Well, we’d better get moving.”

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