Collection of Short Stories

Unwanted Death

Walking down the cracked path, my black shiny heels clicking on the cement. Grass covers the field with rows upon rows of grave heads, scribbled with meaningful words from loved ones. Looking into the dark cloaked sky heavy with rain, roaring thunder shakes me to the core, clutching the long frilled black umbrella tightly in my arms ready for the storm forecasted today.

My heels digs into the soft soil of the grass making me sink ever so slightly, my hand out reaches for the arched grave heads, some smooth to touch and other corse to the softness of my palm. Looking ahead I'm closer to the set up of the makeshift hole in the ground with a brown polished finish coffin levitated in the air just above it. The coffin's brass handles shine in the darkness leading me to the end of the tunnel that is the rows of graves. The coffin shines on its own like it has life to it, I close my eyes thinking I'm imagining it when I open them it is still glowing a yellow tinge.

Breathing in I keep walking tentatively towards the people gathering around, standing beside the coffin, a man in a fitted suit with a sorrowful expression plastered on his face. I faced him as he put a hesitant hand around my shoulder, I gave him a soft smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes. Leaning into his strong body, I felt like falling from all the sorrow that radiated from each person standing around the glowing coffin.

Everyone was dressed in dark moody colours, many cladded in blacks and white and the odd colour of grey pops out. All having the face of pain and loss, many staring at me expectantly, I cleared my throat and nodded to the pastor to continue with the ceremony. The sky started to rumble again turning a darker shade of grey and holding so many tears back not to ruin the rest of the day.

They pastor held blessed water and sprinkled the coffin with two flicks of the wrist, with a head nod the casket lowers down deeper and deeper in the ground until it fully disappears. A single tear drops from my eye and soon my eyes are clouded with held back tears that haven't been shed, lifting my hand and resting it on top of my heart I silently cry in my hand letting go of all pent up emotions.

Being lead by strong arms I sit at a bench close by to the grave and watch silently as the grounds people fill the hole up with soil that got dug out before. Being lifted up and pulled to shelter I realised it started to spit rain slowly, I walked as quickly as my heels would take me under shelter and just as I crossed the entrance the sky let loose and it pours, the rain drops hitting the ground so hard that mud was flying up and splatting against the door.

Turning around I see chaos and am frantic to get out of the way of flying food. Dodging food being thrown in a frisbee fashion, I made it to a small janitors closet and ducked in to hide for a bit till it died down. The small closet smelt damp and of cleaning product, brooms and mops scattered against the wall with buckets full of cleaning products. Sticking my ear against the door I couldn't hear any sound, so I hesitantly stuck my foot out and stuck my head around the door, looking around I found no one but food scattered around the room all squashed and well fitted in the carpet.

Crawling out from the closet bring cleaning products with me, I set out to work trying to get the food and stains out of the carpet and off the walls with no success. Standing up tired of failing, I looked out of the window and saw the headstone of my mother still glowing a yellow tinge in a sea of darkness, giggling to myself I got back to work cleaning the mess out so call 'guests' did.