Ackerman

Ackerman

(Suicide call)

A stranger who refers to herself as Louise calls a suicide prevention line for support. The person on the other end of the phone from her is determined to help her out. She is unsatisfied with her life, job, friends, family. Louise has called and talked to the same counselor before making the same threats about taking her life, claiming it to be the only solution to end her problems. This time there is something different, something about her voice and the way she speaks. The counselor offers her other solutions trying to open up new windows of opportunity in her life. Louise ignores them all and doesn't get interested. Trying to get her to remember the better things in her life the counselor reminds her of all the charity work she has done and how she has been raising two children.

Then the bomb gets dropped. Louise tells the counselor that she has taken enough pills to kill herself. After making a promise to Louise about not calling the cops the counselor had to break it. Trying to keep her mind off death she continues to talk with Louise listing off new ways for her to ease her loneliness.

Louise asks the counselor to hold for a moment there was someone at her door. The counselor knew that it was the police and that Louise would be furious with her. All sorts of thoughts start to rush threw the head of the person who is trying to help her. Wondering if they had failed her.

A few weeks later the counselor notices a thank you card on the bulletin board that catches their eye. It was a letter from Louise thanking them for their help and for making that phone call.

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