Last Moments

Written for https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/category/word-of-the-day/

As Sarah sheltered underneath an oak tree, its sturdy branches protected her from the unexpected hailstorm. She stretched her coat around her school uniform. It had been months since she had seen her friends.

Excuses sent by text were common.

Retreating into her homework easily, she kept conversations brief. No one desired to speak about the massive elephant, and she couldn’t share her thoughts. Bad enough she had to visit a therapist weekly, and rake over his last moments.

As the sun forced the clouds to part, she removed her hood. A grey squirrel rushed down the trunk, disappearing into its hiding place. A bunch of daffodils tightly against her chest, she allowed the solitude of this quiet garden to quieten her mood.

Nobody shared their life story; each victim understood the other.

She passed a small row of headstones. A teddy bear with a white bow, surrounded by a tiny picket fence, leant against a fresh bouquet of red roses. In loving memory of Clara, born July 1980, died September 1982.

Our beautiful Angel, we will meet again.

Each inscription mirrored the rest until she reached the newest on the plot. The dirt raised, his wreath lingered longer than needed. A clean headstone, with a Man-United badge in the centre, held a picture of her brother at his first match.

‘You begged Dad for that,’ Sarah said, kneeling, and opening the clear plastic. She poured water from her bottle, arranging the stems so each petal was facing each other. ‘Obviously, being the favourite, you got what you wanted. What was your secret? Mum wouldn’t buy me that record player. Too expensive! Got you that season ticket though.’

Closing her eyes, her breaths quietened. ‘Why didn’t you tell me what was going on? You know Mum would forgive you anything. Drugs. I should’ve told about finding your stash; if I had you would still be alive. In trouble, but alive.’