Second 👻 Story [Anonymous Text]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[For the past few days, all Ashley's done is try to figure out how to get the PokéConnect anonymous. It'd been an idea in the back of her mind for a week or so and then- well, it became an urge and now here she is.]

I need to ask for some advice.
This might also turn out to be a moral question, maybe? I'm playing by ear.

The scenario:
You take part in something careless and thoughtlessly cruel. A tragedy occurs. One that costs lives. You've accidentally hurt a dear, close friend.
That friend then methodically and maliciously plans and carries out revenge that inadvertently puts your life, the lives of your friends, and their own life in danger.
What the hell do you do?
Is it right to be pissed when it's your fault it all happened?
IS it really your fault?
What's worse, a horrible accident or a plot purposely designed to hurt others?
How would you try to move forward?
How would you try to forgive yourself?
Do you deserve to?

Consider this a moral quandary if you will. I'd just really like some advice. Some opinions.

Comments

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Hope is a hard thing to come by for me nowadays. But I suppose I can try.

You're being incredibly nice. You and your sister both. I appreciate it all. It's one of the first times I've felt it's deserved in quite awhile.

[garbagechild]

frends arnt sposd do that either??????? ??

well

somtyms

but not byond al reezon

that is just meen



i stil think u shud kil him

[hashtagafreakingghost]

A codeword. That sounds wonderful, yes. Thank you for all of this. Not just the advice, but the future plans.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

If it is, it could've picked a bit of a better time. I'd much rather have had a few days at home to relax rather than come straight from the frying pan.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[It comes to Ashley's attention that she's probably talking to a child. So let's...try this differently.]

You're right. It was mean. He was incredibly mean and cruel.
But I didn't want to kill him. Hit him a few times, definitely.
It's kind of a moot point anyway. He died already.
It's a sore subject.

[usedglaciate]

It really could have picked a better time for everyone, but I get what you're saying. The timing sucks.

[garbagechild]

_{[She sure is.]}

o! he is al redy ded???

then wats the problm

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Well I
don't WANT him to be dead for one.
And it doesn't get rid of the memories or the things I did or that he did.

[ratherbelocky]

Hey. You're welcome. Take care now.

[charcoalfeather]

I know. You think it will hurt them more if you tell them then if you don't.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Or if I could trust them with it.
There's a difference between someone you're friendly with and someone you trust with things like this, after all.

[defyingfrigidity]

Exactly! And it is.
If you need to take small steps forward and aren't ready to talk to the community as a whole about this while showing your face, you could always talk to some people privately.
I'd be happy to keep listening, if you'd like.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Really? For a stranger?

Thank you. I don't know what to say.

[defyingfrigidity]

Of course! I know how difficult it is to keep something that eats away at you inside like this.
Whether I know them or not, I don't want to see someone destroy themselves in the way I nearly did.
So if talking to me helps, then I'll be more than happy to listen, should you ever need it.

[permanon]

[in4apounding]

That's
pretty bad, yes.

[She can't say it's not.]

That's not what you were trying to do though, was it? You didn't think anything really bad would happen.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Your sister said her name is Anna. What's yours?

[garbagechild]

o i gess that is bad

i allso donut lyk rememmembering sum things

[permanon]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Just because I didn't think that doesn't excuse it.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

I'm trying to figure out what to do next now. With the memories and all the bad feelings.
Besides kill someone, what do you do? To make yourself feel better when remembering bad things?

[charcoalfeather]

Right. It has to be someone special. sometimes it feels like that person is someone you don't know if you cant trust or not. But, maybe they can prove you wrong.

[...Mmmgghn. Shit. Is she-auuugh.]

uh so, how are you feeling now? Any better?
I feel like there's a lot of other people already giving you better advice.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[People proving her wrong's kind of been the problem lately.]

I don't know. I'm feeling something. I have to think on all of this for awhile.

[blazeit]

[ ... not anonymous because he doesn't care, but. ].

Uhhh okay so my friend sounds like a fucking sociopath so yeah, I think I'd be pretty rightfully pissed off?

[ But then he seems to have some kind of change of heart, or maybe a brief moment of self-awareness, because he quickly adds: ]

but I guess it depends on what I did in the first place too.

[permanon etc]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[It's a good thing that second part comes, because Ashley winces and immediately starts to send off a rather hurried]

He was NOT a

Okay. Well. Does it really matter what the action was if the outcome resulted in death?

[defyingfrigidity]

My name is Elsa
I won't ask for yours, so you don't have to compromise your anonymous status, but it's nice to meet you all the same.

[blazeit]

Yeah, it does. Like, it definitely does.

I mean like... what somebody MEANS to do might not be AS important as the outcome but... idk. This is a harder question than I originally thought? I mean like personally, I admit I'm really fuckin vengeful but killing somebody over an accident seems .... excessive in a lot of ways...