Roses Sowmya Krishna

Won’t Tell a Soul

Carly Broseman

He wants to tell everyone, but I know for a fact that it’s a bad idea. If one word slipped out of that boy’s mouth, if people found out, that was it. Everything would change for the worse and nothing could be done to undo it. If we were to tell other people our secret, it could mean not just the end of our friendship, but also the end of the world as we know it. Hysteria in the streets, things on fire, buildings caving in... Ka-boom. Suffice to say, I decided it would be best to keep our mouths shut. Permanently. Of course, I’ve also considered the benefits of sharing our confidential matter, no matter how miniscule they may be. The weight of our secret is heavy on both of our shoulders, and I don’t doubt that letting it go would be no small relief. I would love to look at myself in the mirror and see an honest person- not a good one, for the time for that has long passed, but I’d like to believe that being honest is at least one step in the right direction. But unfortunately, we cannot afford ourselves that luxury. The world cannot afford it. Plus, breaking the news might- and with a lot of emphasis on might- have the opposite effect of what I predict. Our secret could bring the two of us even closer together and the world just might go on with little care or repercussion. But for that outcome to occur, we would need one-in-a-million luck. And if we possessed any of that, we would never have ended up in this unlikely situation in the first place. So, with all factors in mind, I know that we should not tell a soul what we know and what we did. That boy is an idiot, and I am indisputably in the right. For the good of us, and for the good of pretty much everyone still alive, what is confidential must remain so. If he did let it slip out, we would be lost to each other forever, and more than likely the world. Or we could finally understand one another, and maybe even beyond. If somebody found out, our world would go into panic, and nobody would ever forgive us- I wouldn’t forgive us. Or we could be happy, and the world could go on non-the-wiser. If our secret was revealed, the guilt that we carry would multiply ten-fold, and build up until it crushed us and everything in its path. Or we could be relieved. But, I am well aware that any luck either of us ever possessed has shriveled into nothing. We will never tell a soul. If people suspect us, we will deny. If the weight becomes so heavy that we can no longer look ourselves in the eye, our repents will remain locked in our chests. If the people around us pick up on the wrongness we conceal, we will not give in. No matter what happens, no matter how difficult life gets, we will keep our secret. I know what would happen, I know I am right, and I will not let him tell a soul. It is a secret that must go to our graves. We must not tell a soul.