The Broken Fade

Chapter One- The Gift Basket

"Just look at that," Cath gasped in admiration.

Krissy and Aurel pressed their faces against the glass as they stared at the recently arrived pair of Forever 21 shoes. 

"I saw them online!" Krissy pointed to a pair of blue gladiator wedge sandals excitedly.  

Meanwhile, next door, Hazel and Emma explored a large Royce chocolate shop. Emma's hazelnut brown eyes gazed at a gift basket with fruit bars, baton coconut and hazel cacao cookies, creamy milk chocolate bars and the original potato-chip chocolate, plus a small handy notebook with the initials 'ROYCE' in blue with a Royce pen and a bouquet of fake dandelions. 

Somehow, this particular gift basket reminded Emma of her parents. How every Friday evening her dad would come home with Royce chocolates, each week a different flavour or type. And her mum. A lover of plants and animals, all the same. Especially Bosco, their friendly and loyal pit bull who left them 6 months ago. She had loved dandelions and carnations too, Emma remembered clearly, as she pictured an environment at home if her parents were still around. The veranda would still have all different and special kinds of plants in their pots. Each pot tells a different story. Some made from ceramic, ordered online all the way from Japan, Korea and China. Some were made of recycled materials that orphaned kids made as a part of a campaign to help them. Mum always believed buying items out of recycled material would help save this planet before it's too late. Eco-friendly mum. Always caring about the environment and others more than she bothers about herself. Mum also bought D.I.Y flower pots from mini marts. Practically, she's much of an artistic person as well. 

The pots were still out there, under the sunlight, sitting on the wooden stand on the verandah. 

But the plants had all died. 

Emma had no idea why she didn't want to touch them since that fateful night that forever will change her life. 

She felt a sudden jolt and the pain came again. An internal pain. A type of pain that is aching so badly deep down inside her heart. She can still laugh, be a joker and smile broadly, but deep down nothing else can be compared to the overwhelming sadness and heart ache. She missed them. In fact, she had been missing them every day, every hour, every minute, every second, every beat her heart takes. 

Emma stood on the tip of her toes as she tried to catch a glimpse of the price of the gift basket (Since it was placed on the topmost area of a shelf). Forty dollars. Quite a good discount. The gift basket would do. Dad and Mum, hopefully, would like it. They liked any gift. 

"Emma." Emma felt a tiny prick of surprise as Hazel peeped from behind.

"What have you got?" Asked Emma.

Hazel revealed a Royce plastic bag with fruit and nutty chocolate bars.

"I'll take this. Help me lift it down, would you?" Before Emma could finish her sentence, Hazel was already standing on tip toes, reaching out her long arms as she tried to reach the gift basket.

Hazel placed the gift basket on the cashier and handed the salesperson a fifty dollar note. "Keep the change," she winked as she gave the gift basket to Emma and walked out of the shop. The salesperson was still in awe, the fifty dollar note in his stiff hands. 

"You need's do that. You know I could pay." Emma sighed as the two friends walked out of the shop.

"Well, I could do a little of giving extra tips, can't I?" Hazel shrugged. 

They entered the Forever 21 shop to see Cath busying herself by trying on a blue floppy hat, Krissy engrossed in choosing a matching pair of earrings at another corner and Aurel photographing the busy scenes of shoppers in the huge shop. She was obviously going to make an entry about today. Aurelia loves photography and blogging. So does Cath, but she's more into sports. 

"What's so interesting with photography, huh?" Hazel walked over to Aurelia as she busied herself by snapping photos with her Canon. 

"I'm passionate with it! Duh!" Said Aurelia, happily.

"Hey Aurel! Are you guys done yet?" asked Emma.

Krissy walked towards them with two Forever 21 shopping bags in her hands. Cath followed her from behind after getting a receipt from the cashier. 

"We're done with shopping!" Krissy patted Emma on the shoulder and gave her a warm and kind smile. 

Emma smiled back to her as the five girls proceeded out of the shop, chit-chatting and giggling. 

                                                                                  *

Hazel drove her land rover downhill and over them loomed hills, all fresh and green. She pulled the brakes and the vehicle came to an immediate and complete stop, under a beautiful and huge oak tree. 

"Are you sure you'll go up there alone?" Cath asked reassuringly, from the back seat.

Emma, seated in the front row right beside Hazel turned back to her and smiled, but inside, she had wished for the opposite.

"I can do this on my own." Emma took a deep breath and took a step outside. The breeze was windy and chilly, yet warm and gentle as the scorching sun warmed her cold and stiff heart.

Emma, with the gift basket in her hands, took baby steps as she walked up the rickety wooden stairs that would take her up to her destined place. Her heart began throb, she felt a painful lump in her throat.

Why can't I do this? She paused halfway on a wooden step and turned back. Looking down, the land rover was parked under the oak tree, which looked even larger and beautiful and old from above and farther. My friends...Emma suddenly remembered all the sacrifices her friends made just for her sake and own goodness. She heaved a deep, deep sigh. She could hear birds chirping already, even if she wasn't even halfway up the steps. Almost there, Emma. I can't turn back, Emma said steadily to herself as she faced the steps in front of her and began walking up, cautiously not to slip or trip. 

Ahead of her lay neat rows and columns of marble gravestones.

The scenic area was breathtaking, yet gave you a feeling of many cold presence eyeing you and watching every step you take.

Emma scanned the whole area. Ominous dark clouds were approaching from the west. Another storm. I've got to be quick, Emma said to herself. A chilly atmosphere made an icing jolt creep down her spine as Emma noticed that no one was around the cemetery.

Emma walked towards a beautiful, marble path and stoof in front of two marble gravestones that were put closer together compared to the other gravestones arranged neatly.

On the two gravestones plated in sunshine gold were two names. Darren Andrew Roosevelt and Selena Dobrev.  Emma placed the gift basket in between the two gravestones and two bouquet of roses on each gravestone.

"Hope you like it," Emma said. It's been a month. Yes, a month since that tragic incident. 

Over the edge of the cliff, a lightning stiked, followed by a soft rumbling of thunder. The threatening clouds were closer than Emma had known. They hovered over her and gathered in a huddle. 

Tears trickled down Emma's face. "I..." 

Lightning, again. The clouds could not hold their tight grasp any longer. Soon, a soft drizzle fell from the sky, and it got heavier and heavier. 

"I have to go now," Emma muttered through trembling lips. And she left.