Under the Gray Willow Tree

Chapter 6

Hah! I actually updated 2 days in a row! :DD Well, just so you know, I decided to change the setting for this story to be a year back. ^^ Anyways, I really, really need you guys' help to make my ranking go up. So... Will you all help me? Pls! :3 I knw you can!

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Chapter 6 – Willow's POV

I woke up this morning and found the whole town blanketed with a layer of white snow. It must've snowed throughout the night. I turned up the heater and put on a white woollen knitted sweater. My hands were still freezing, but I'm pretty sure I'll be alright.

I stood by my bedroom window and just stared outside. The white snow makes the whole town look prettier than I could remember. It looks so mesmerising. Almost... Magical.

A white Christmas. I haven't experienced one since... Well... Since before the accident... A tear escaped my eye and trailed down my cheek. Stop it Willow! I scolded myself. You've got to get over the it! What's gone is gone, there's no changing that! So there's only one logical and humane thing to do. And that is accept the fact!

"But I can't," I muttered to no one in particular.

I closed my eyes shut and shook my head. I mentally slapped myself. I took a deep breath. That was pretty useless, but I did feel a little better. At least that's better than nothing. But, the emptiness is still there in my heart. I can still feel it, and it's growing by the second.

"Willow Rayne. Stop. Thinking. About. It. And. Just. Freaking. Move. On," a small voice in my head scolded me.

That little voice in my head is right. I've got to learn to move on. At this rate, I'll never be able to live life to the fullest.

"Great. Now I'm listening to my own advice."

I sighed. "Live life to the fullest," my mum's voice echoed in my head.

That was the last thing I remember her saying before she left the house that one particular day. The one day she left, and never came back.

Live life to the fullest. That is exactly what every sane teenager living on the face of this planet should be doing. What I should be doing. But, I'm doing quite the opposite. I'm not living life to the fullest at all. I'm doing the literal opposite.

Yes, that's what I should do. Move on, and live my life to the fullest. After all, we only have one life, and that's it. But... How should I move on? The letter! Dad's letter! I could open Dad's letter. The last time I opened it, I just glanced at it, for barely a second. Right now, I can't even remember how it looks like.

I am going to read Dad's letter.

I dashed to my room and rummaged through my messy drawer until I found it. It was crushed below my books, but at least it's only crumpled. All the writings were still easily readable.

I tore open the envelope – that I sealed shut with tape – carefully and pulled out the letter inside. I smoothen out the paper, and laid it flat on my bedroom office table. Dad's writing. Oh, how I miss it! I sighed and closed my eyes. I didn't dare to read it. Yet.

"Ready?" the same small voice asked me.

I nodded. "Yes," I mumbled, softly but firmly.

I sighed once more and opened my eyes. I read the letter out loud as confidently as I can. This is what it said: