Where They Will Be [PUBLISHED]

Part One

a story about a daughter who chose to dive and a mother who went on a journey to find out why her daughter made a death jump.

there are two sides to the moon. we may know of one but the other is hidden from us on the other side, beneath the shelter of a blanket of shadows.

~•~

THERE WAS A THICK COAT of silvery dust lining the drawers like a gigantic gray blanket. Amber swiped a finger across the damp wood and came back up with a layer of fuzzy coating. She rubbed the fur between her fingers slowly, thoughtfully, and then let it slip out of her fingers and onto the floor.

"Perhaps it's time I clean out this room," she muttered to herself. "The room is starting to reek of the rot and dirt of the yard."

Something caught the corner of her eye and she reached over and picked up a picture frame buried deep beneath the dust. She blew on it. The glass cleared to show a girl with dark blonde hair weaved into a bun on top of her head and gleaming eyes. She was carrying an overflowing backpack on her shoulders and around her neck hung a badge from the university she would soon be going to. She was laughing into the camera, her mouth opened wide in a grin.

Amber stared at the picture, frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from her daughter's last smile. The picture was taken in front of their house the day Emily went to college.

It was bright and early in the morning. Emily was excited to finally go to college and had barged into Amber's room to drag her out of bed.

"Come on, Mom!" she squealed and shook Amber violently. Her hands were trembling with excitement. "Today's it! It's really happening. I'm going to college!"

Amber groaned and rubbed her drowsy eyes. "What time is it? It looks dark outside. And- Oh, Emily! For gods sake, would you calm down for a second? I'm barely awake. At least let me wake up properly first!"

Emily giggled. "Okay, okay, but make sure you get up quickly. I'm going to go pack the car!"

Amber chuckled as her daughter skipped out of the room. She got out of bed and threw on her clothes.

For the past few days Emily had talked of nothing but college. She looked forward to it so much that she packed and got ready five months before the day they were supposed to leave on.

Amber walked outside and saw Emily trying to load the back of the car. The suitcase was too heavy for her, though, so she couldn't lift it into the car. She grunted and heaved but she was no match for the weight.

Amber laughed and walked over to help her. Together they pushed the suitcase into the car.

"Whew! Thanks," Emily said and pretended to wipe an imaginary drop of sweat from her forehead. She smiled at the overflowing back of the car. "Well, I'm all packed and ready to go."

Amber stared at the car. "Seems like it."

"I'll be a college student soon," Emily added.

"Yes, honey. And I'll be an old lady all alone in the huge house."

Emily laughed and hugged her mother. "Oh, mom. Don't be like that. I promise to call you every day and send you pictures."