Mrs. Smith was a tall frail woman with long arms and legs that looked like swaying tree branches in the wind. She always had a pale face with wrinkles and dark circles beneath her eyes. Her face was weathered, as if it looked like old worn leather. She wore an old tethered dress that had minor rips and tears with some dirt spots on it. A woman who is a widow, a mother of four, could rarely afford to spend a dime not only for herself but also for her children. Let alone caring for her poor ruthless children, she had no ability of caring for herself.

Mrs. Smith was once a psychiatric patient at the St. Roses Mental Institute located four blocks down the road. She suffered from a severe case of depression. After her husband died five years ago, her life had come to a roaring halt. She started getting panic attacks and severe anxiety, she couldn’t control herself. All she wanted to do was die. Her eldest daughter, Emily, had noticed her symptoms and was severely worried.

One night Emily was still awake putting her brothers and sisters to bed as she heard her mother screaming corruptly. Emily could not make out what she was screaming so she frantically ran to see what was the matter. She ran down the squeaky old stairs, into the parlor and stopped. She couldn’t hear her mother screaming anymore. “Mother, Mother are you okay?”, she yelled.

She heard whimpering, but she didn’t know where it was coming from. Then the thought of the bathroom came in mind. Of course, that was where Mrs. Smith would occasionally lock herself when she had panic attacks. Emily stormed her way to the bathroom door, but it was locked. “ Mother are you in there? I can hear you crying? What is the matter? Why did you lock the door?”, Emily asked desperately.

“Leave me alone!” Mrs. Smith replied. “I cant take my life anymore. Emily you need to go stay with your brothers and sisters. You don’t need to be near when I hurt myself!”

Emily screamed, “NO! You can’t do that, Mother no! You have a family. Why would you do such a thing? We love you.” Slamming a drawer in the bathroom, “Leave me alone, Emily!”