• The next day no one spoke. The school had been silenced with grief. When the announcement over the loud speaker sounded half my math class broke down crying. There was no escaping the truth. The news broad casted it on every channel. And the local news paper couldn’t resist following the story. At lunch I unfolded my copy of the paper and read it again.

    Local Grant Michigan High Schooler Found Dead Late Last Night.
    When Police received an urgent call late last night they expected what you’d usually get a call about at a high school dance. Alcohol or drug abuse. But when they responded to the scene they were astounded to find 16 year old, George Davis, dead in the parking lot. Shortly after police arrived on the scene ambulances were called and teens rushed out of the building puzzled at what was going on. Quite a few teenagers from the dance were questioned but no one could provide any answers as to what had happened. An autopsy will reveal George Davis’s true cause of death but police did reveal to us that the only wounds that he sustained were two puncture marks on the side of his neck. But they were not big enough to enforce any real jugular damage. All anyone can do now is wait for the autopsy results and pray that George Davis will not have died in vain.

    “But he did die in vain,” I whispered. I couldn’t bring myself to cry. It was his fault he died. He’s the one that cheated and went off with Alex. But…Some part of me kept saying: I could have saved him. He didn’t have to die. It’s all my fault…

    At the memorial service everyone was dressed in black including me. I wore a tight black strapless dress with a red flower in my now black hair. I felt that dying my hair gave me a sort of symbolism that no one else could obtain. There were hundreds of people waiting to pour dirt place flowers on his seemingly dark grave. Finally when I got to the front I watched alex through a whole shovel full of dirt onto his grave and mutter, “Sorry.”. Though she walked away in her bright red dress with a smile on her devious lips. When it was my turn I slowly grasped a handful of dirt and let every tiny piece of it fall through the cracks in between my fingers. I slowly whispered, “I’m sorry. I cold have saved you. I could have followed you out side with Alex. But I didn't. Please lord forgive me,” before walking away in silence.

    Alex went on as usual as though nothing had happened at all. I had to restrain myself whenever she walked past me from tackling her to the floor. But it was the following Friday and the days past otherwise un-noticable to me. I ate, slept, and drank like I was supposed to. But nothing felt right. Collin stammered through the door as usual since last week. It had been raining but miraculously He only had a few drops on his glistening golden hair which he shook, spraying me with water. I laughed before he swooped down, tousling my hair like and old playmate. “I brought doughnuts!” He smiled. I tried to be happy but my attempts to smile did not succeed. “Brooke talk to me,” Collin sat down at the edge of my bed, “Please?” I didn’t budge. He slowly wrapped his arms around me pulling me into a warm hug…Well as warm as a hug could be from him. My body rejected his embrace but my mind enjoyed it thoroughly. “I…I…I just…” I tore myself from him, and took long steps to the window. Outside the rain poured ferociously and the drops spilled down my window pane like a thousand falling diamonds. I pressed my hand to the cold glass. Before Collin could take a second glance I’d fled down the stairs and into the backyard. Rain stained my hair and jeans. But it felt good, to have my tears washed away with the cold drops falling from the clouds. In a flash of water Collin stood beside me again. “Stop this madness Brooke! Look at yourself! You need to move on! Forget everything!” “I can’t! It plays through my mind like an old movie. You and Alex, George dieing…It’s just too much.” He stood there helplessly at my side.“We can’t change the past. But we can help the future. Do think george would have wanted you to just wait around miserable like this? We’ve got to make the best of life. Now what your going to do is go to Six Flags with me tomorrow and were going to have FUN! And you are not going to whine one bit!” I sighed and rolled my red puffy eyes. “Fine,” I sniffled. And hugged him.

    That night I dreamed:

    We were waiting in line for Roar (my favorite ride at six flags). I saw my dream as a spectator. Looking on at myself, I gaped at my imperfections next to Collin. But I quickly realized no one was perfect. Collin told some sort of joke and I laughed. I actually smiled. But something caught my eye. It was a glint of some sort. There in the distance stood Gabriel. He smiled at me, licking his lips. In his hand was my parents wedding picture. “I warned you,” He spat. His voice was so vived. So real. So…scary. He slowly ripped my parents wedding picture again and again. Laughing as he did it. “No stop!” I screamed. Flashes of my parents dead, their blood spilled every where. My mom’s screams echoed in my head. “NO STOP!!” I tried and tried but my yells of terror were drowned out. I was falling deeper and deeper into a hole I couldn’t get out of. “It’s all your fault.” George’s voice rippled in my mind. “I know! JUST STOP! PLEASE!” Again Gabriel’s voice sounded in my head, “It won’t stop. We’ll never stop as long as you’re alive.” With one last scream, the dream ended.

    I awoke tossing and turning with tears and sweat down my face. “Honey? Honey? Are you alright?” My mom held me close with my dad behind her. It took a few seconds for me to realize it was all just a dream. “Y...yes. It was j…just a dream. I’m sorry I woke you.” I held on close to my mom. “Well it’s alright honey. But you need to go back to sleep it’s almost 4 a.m. You’re safe.” I nodded. Once they were out of the room I whispered, “But you’re not.”