When we go to die

When mother died

The world felt darker, sicker and a lot lonelier after your best friend dies.
I've been sitting alone in my room with no human contact for about three weeks now.
My mom will knock on my door asking me to run errands with her, but I never do. It's not like she knows how much my only friend meant to me.
I was torn from my thoughts when my mom knocked on my door. She likes to knock the melodies of my favorite songs, hoping that it will cheer me up a bit.

"Honey, I was going to stop by Andrew's headstone and bring the flowers I bought, would you like to come with me?"

My stomach sank when I heard the name of my deceased friend and I couldn't stand it, it hurts so much to hear the name of someone that's gone.

"MOM! I told you not to say his name anymore! How could you?" I took the object closest to me and threw it out of anger. Thankfully I ended up grabbing a pillow and hitting the door frame instead of my mother. She looked sad and she started to shake.

"Mom, no I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean it! Really!"

After dad died my mom became really upset but when she met my stepdad, she was so happy again. Eventually things got really bad and my stepdad began beating my mom and me. Thank god my friend and his mom were coming over that day, she had seen my stepdad beating me and she called the cops. My mother was on the floor knocked unconscious but I was being hit repeatedly when my friend came threw the door and tried to stop my stepdad from hurting me anymore. That day my stepdad hit a little to hard and he ended an innocent ninth graders life. The cops had came and arrested my stepdad. An ambulance came and carried my mother and my only friend to the hospital. My mother survived but she was currently going through therapy.

I got up and hugged my mom.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of what happened."

"I-it's ok. I shouldn't have remembered that you don't like me to say his name."

I smiled at her forgiving nature and continued to hug her. She was always so protective and she could hardly forgive herself after she had invited such a violent man into our safe little home. But it wasn't her fault, she couldn't have know about his criminal ways.

"Mom?" She looked me in the eyes and I took a breath. It's not like I can stay in here forever. " I'd like to go with you... Please."

"Good. You need to get out of the house." She smiled and graves the flowers and her keys.

~*~

The car ride was short, but it was enjoyable.
Mom loves to put the windows down during fall, it was currently October thirteenth. The air was crisp, beautiful and full of delicious smells.
The town we live in is distant from any cities so the air is clean and the trees grow leaves in the most beautiful shades of green.
When fall arrives, the colors are so bright and beautiful.
The entire town attends to a ball called 'The festival of leaves' and everyone dresses up in gowns and suits colored like the fall leaves.
It's kinda strange but it's really fun and exciting.
The mayor comes and chooses a 'king' and a 'queen' or sometimes a 'prince' and 'princess' to start the festivals grand dance.
The festival is held in a huge court yard that's close to the graveyard they my friend was buried in.

As we drove by the court yard I saw that the decorations were being set up for this years ball.
As we pulled up in front of the gates to be the graveyard it became really cold and the wind was getting stronger. I felt my teeth chattering and I swore to myself for only wearing a t-shirt.
I closed the car door and followed my mom over to the open gates.