do not read without listening.
please put this music in the background while you read.
EMPTY.
written by me and various strangers
I watch as the clock goes by, wondering if it’ll ever stop ticking. As I’m sitting here listening to this music, I realize my childhood is over. My classwork is just piling up. I feel as if I want to give up.
An imaginary voice quietly whispers in my ear: Welcome back to reality where you suffer until you’re no longer here.
I screamed for help but no one came. I called to the stars and they laughed at me.
When the world ends, this song will continuously play until all of eternity has faded away saying: good game.
He shouldn't have died like this. He was locked in a prison with the deranged psychopath of this world. And no one was there to help him. I'm sorry old friend.
I’m listening to this song, realizing my childhood is over; remembering the 20+ assignments I have to do by 11:59 PM. I always wanted to be a teenager as a kid... but little did I know it was all a lie, that the world isn't as beautiful as I thought it was. My daydream is ruined by my mother coming into my room angry, she looks at me and then slams the door. My eyes started watering, "Why doesn't anyone understand?" I struggle to get up, exhausted. I can’t do this anymore.
I clean up my room because I know if I don’t, I will face the unnecessary consequences. I make it back to my corner and start to cry, wishing I were a child once again. But it’s impossible.
I moved away from a small town into a big city, leaving my friends behind. 2 years passed and I thought back to when I had fun with my friends in the small town, and I decided that when I’m older I’d go back to the small town in hopes of meeting them again. When I finally moved out of my parents' house I rented a small house in the small town I grew up in, and I came across one of my old friends. I said hi and asked if they remembered me, and they replied saying they've never known anybody with my name. “It was nice meeting you, though.”
I headed back home, realizing that those memories were never real. I felt horrified that my own thoughts deceived and betrayed me.
I wake up and get ready for school. I get dressed and get my books together. I make breakfast and walk to school. I am crossing the street. I see a car hurdling towards me; I stop and think: do I run or do I stand? Is it even worth it in the end? Is it? My life flashes before my eyes. Every pain, enemy, and worry. It’ll all be gone. But I see my family and friends. They’re crying, they’re all crying. Because of me. But it won’t matter. Because I’ll be dead, right?
I hear tires screeching, headlights in my eyes; then darkness.
Be happy that you´re sad. Because without sadness, happiness means nothing.
I’m not done with life, but life is done with me.
I'm just back here again now. All because of his death.
While listening to this song, I stare blankly at the clock, wondering, "Will it ever end?" The thought of everything happening to me, all because of manipulation, the pain, the thinking back... I realize, it's all because of a smile. My heart sinks as fear brushes across my face. I slowly exhale, my breath shaking. I repeat to myself "It’s okay! This is all in your head, you’re fine” over, and over, and over. I refuse to listen. I decide to draw to calm myself down. But as I open my notebook, I see, in the top left corner—a smiling face :)
I’m lying in my bed, listening to this music. I feel calm, then I hear my mother scream my name. I snap back to reality where everything is unexpected, but then reality overwhelms me. I know everybody hates me, people bully me every day, I just lost a couple of friends—my only friends. People I love have died. But it’s okay. It’ll be okay.
I make my way downstairs to see what’s going on. Dinner is ready, so I go get my earbuds and phone to listen to this music as I’m eating. While I’m eating, I escape reality. Everything is fine until my annoying younger sibling unplugs my earbuds. I yell at my younger sibling and plug my earbuds back in to escape reality again, to not think of anything bad, then again you hear my mom yell at me. She yells at me until it’s the only thing I can hear and it’s drowning out my thoughts. So I go upstairs to my room, escaping reality again. I feel good, I feel relaxed.
The next day at school I listen to this song and escape reality again. Somebody calls my name, but I tell them that I don't want to hear it. I escape reality again until he unplugs my earbuds; I can still hear the music. This time I’m not going to leave until the music can't be heard. He calls my name a few times once I finally snap out of it. Then I start crying, getting too overwhelmed by reality. Everything is fine, but I know it’ll go downhill. I sit down for class, the teacher knowing what I’m going through. It’s the same thing as last time. everything is fine. I snap back to the present. I’m in college. I’ve fallen asleep in class listening to the music, homework and work piling up. I want to be a kid again. No one’s my friend. I get bullied and everyone I love is gone. But I keep going. I keep living. Because I keep thinking everything is fine. But it’s not. I’m not. When will this all be over?
This song scares me. I don't know what’s going to happen to me, it puts me in a horrible stage. I don't know what's going on, I'm lying in bed... crying, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He died a couple days ago, I'm helping them get out of a war and all bad things are happening. I don't know what to do.
When the world ends, I want this to be the end credits song. If being a traitor is choosing people over government then so be it.
It’s an indescribable feeling. A different thing. Some might say paranormal. But that’s not it. “Normal” is a word that’s never been used to describe anything about us. We’re simply... well.. different. No one fears us, but they should. We’re capable of many things that the “normal” are not, but they don’t know. They’ll see. We’re not just stupid you see; this song brings it out. The other side is what you should fear.
I just don't know how to explain; I’ve made so many mistakes. The mistakes that made me feel preoccupied, sad, angry with myself. Sometimes I think about my family, I think about my mom and dad—and how they love me and treat me with so much care, but I stay here all the time, on my computer. I want my life to change, but I do nothing about it. You, the person who is reading this—don’t be like me. Follow your dreams, and make sure to achieve them. Please, don't do anything that makes you feel mad or sad; I hope your family is proud of you, and I hope you live a happy life.
Am I crazy? Am I a psychopath? This song makes me feel comfortable, cozy, it makes me.. smile? It makes me feel... like I'm here, like I found myself. Like I found my home.
You’re still here? I thought you would’ve gone by now. Well if you’re still here,
..you need to wake up.