I have worked at Santa Maria General Hospital since December 2019. Getting the job was the perfect Christmas gift! Santa Maria was held in the highest of esteem. It was the standard. When things took a turn for the worst in 2020, we were tested.
No news station had reported it, Social Media blocked any videos, and stern warnings ensued not to ever speak of it under any circumstances. Ever.
No one will tell you what happened–but I will.
I had just become an RN and loved the hospital’s atmosphere. As strange as it sounds, there was a certain…at-home feel to it. I worked close by my best friend’s side. Danielle Peterson was quiet, well-liked, and made fantastic party punch. I think it was the sherbert that made it stand out most. She was mysterious and introverted, often mistaken for withdrawn.
We had the same nursing classes and, in time, had grown to be very close. Sometimes, we would even finish each other’s thoughts. She told me if she had met me first, we would have been together instead of her boyfriend.
Her emerald eyes, set off by her shoulder length black hair, radiated her beauty. She was from Rome. Not Texas, but Italy. She immigrated in 2010 because of some trouble her family had encountered from the mob.
Determined to start a new life, she had chosen to practice medicine.
We went to Denny’s after every shift. We couldn’t think of a better way to unwind. Gio, her boyfriend, always joined us. We would talk about the latest movies or if there were concerts on the weekend that interested us. I was so grateful that Gio was such a trusting guy. He treated me like family and even said I could be the Godfather, and I was honored beyond measure.
Their relationship was the very definition of perfection, almost like fate brought them together.
As the news spread of a global pandemic, we became swamped day and night with very sick, very dying patients. There were so many deaths, and it was so unreal how fast the world had turned upside down, seemingly overnight. Some came apart at the seams, and I noticed Danielle was losing it. I became more concerned with every passing double shift. Her smile faded little by little.
“Would you stop already? I’m fine, okay? I just feel so tired.” She said, rubbing her temples. “This is so crazy! People are dying.”
I nodded and sipped my seventh cup of coffee. The bags under my eyes were growing heavier day by day.
“I don’t understand how this could have happened, either.”
“Do you think it’ll ever end?” She said and checked her phone.
“I don’t know. Hopefully one day.”
She sighed, sending her message.
“Yeah, one day.” I could sense the desperation in her tone. I was concerned, so I chose my next words very carefully. “We’ll just hope for the best.”
She shook her head.
“This could be another seasonal bug.”
“Yeah, you’re right, who knows?”
She hugged, then kissed me on the cheek.
“You’re a great friend. Don’t change for anyone. Ever.” She walked toward the bathroom. With five minutes left of what seemed like a very short break, I decided to admire nature through the giant window that faced a courtyard. I couldn’t envision what happened next in what I can only describe as a sick irony.
I watched the birds bathe at the small pond without a care in the world. The squirrels frolicked from branch to branch–
Then, I saw it.
A sickening “thud” followed by blood and chunks of internal organs hit the glass. They slid down at a snail’s pace and we all froze, in shock. Everything was surreal in that pivotal moment that we hardly noticed that security had rushed in.
“What happened?” The tall burly dude in a black uniform demanded.
They forced the courtroom door open.
“Wish I knew. Looks like one of ours.” The second guard said, examining the name badge.
“Danielle Peterson. It’s a crying shame, so young and all.”
I felt my heart sink to the pit of my soul. I broke down and must have blacked out since I woke up with the mental health team in my room. They just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to do anything rash. They didn’t want to lose another “great, vital, and valued member of the Santa Maria family”.
I agreed not to hurt myself. I was a realist and knew that everything happens for a reason. If anything, I was at peace that Danielle wasn’t suffering anymore. The world is less brighter without her, and that’s what kills me most..
I was on break the following day. I had decided to start smoking, knowing I would have a guaranteed break. That was the day I learned the truth..
“Can’t believe we had another jumper.” Perkins said, shaking his head.
“She definitely charged that glass like she was on something.”
“Yeah, I heard about it. Check it out, though, I unlocked her phone with her fingerprint.” Edmonds said, and Perkins perked up.
“Are you serious? What did you see?”
“She sent her last text minutes before she hit that courtyard. It seems she had made a suicide pact with her boyfriend.”
Perkins shook his head.
“Why would she do that?”
“They didn’t want to see the future.”
Perkins refilled his tea, then blindly groped for his chair while he sipped.
“You mean it’s true?! ” He asked, then rubbed his temples. Edmonds rushed to his side.
“I’m afraid it is.” Perkins reached for his inhaler, getting relief. Edmonds patted him on the back. “Don’t get too worked up, Perkins. It’s not worth it. I wish there was some way to shut off the thirteenth floor for good. But it’ll never happen.”
Edmonds nodded.
“If it gets out to anyone, it’ll spread like wildfire-always does. We especially can’t let the press catch wind.”
“You got it, I’m not saying a word.”
I crept away. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Knowing there had been many more was nothing short of unnerving.
A suicide pact…
As the pandemic dragged on, we saw more new faces on our team. I knew they wouldn’t last long. The high turnover rate was never explained, but there was a reason.
The elevators would go to the fourteenth floor, bypassing the thirteenth floor. Somehow, people still managed to jump.
They promised severe consequences for those who decided to explore, including jail time. Those who broke that rule wouldn’t go to jail, though, but instead, received a toe tag.
Though the windows were boarded up and the entrance was sealed, people still jumped. Santa Maria became a sort of suicide resort, a place for the terminally ill to flock and end their miserable existence.
No one ever understood, but accepted it as a normal part of life at Santa Maria. Rumors circulated that crooked doctors would accept bribes and lead patients to their death like a sick Pied Piper. Others blamed a massive mental health crisis.
It became apparent the thirteenth floor sang a “siren song”. Some even say Danielle would whisper to their terminally ill relative. They would see her manifest and beckon to them. There were promises of freedom and happiness, no doubt. I still believe she is the songstress for the thirteenth floor siren song.
We don’t smile anymore, the dark cloud of death over us daily. I think the statistics are, one person, every three minutes, will jump from the thirteenth floor of Santa Maria.
If you ask anybody, they will deny it happened and dismiss you. But there are those of us who are not afraid and will tell you. No one ever tells you why it never happened, just that it never did.
There’s almost a crippling fear that grips them when they deny, and it always gives them away..
I am the last of the original crew, and I’m proud of that. I ate a Chicken Fried Steak, Steak Fries, and washed it down with Coca-Cola. I had a cigarette and even took a shot of courage. I peeled back the plywood and I hate how the sun shines while we suffer.
If you want to know the truth about the Santa Maria suicides, this is it.
I heard Danielle’s voice earlier. She told me to join her where the sun always shines and happiness flows unabated. She told me Gio would like me to join them.
I have to put my pen down now and join them.

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