Status: Considering its demise...
Zap!
Reality setting in
After I had settled down at the table next to Isaiah wit a bowl of Rice Crispies, I started asking Vi questions.
"So how did you all explain my sudden disappearence to my parents?"
"Freak accident. An electric pole fell and a live water hit you, creating a body too badly burned to be identified. So out of the kindness of our hearts we pressured them into cremation. A tree is now in a lovely urn on your mantle."
I swallowed hard and Vi patted my hand.
"It's weird, I know. But trust me, it's a whole lot freakier to be able to visit your own grave." I shuddered.
"You'll get used to it. We all did after a while. Jack had to leave behind 5 sisters and brothers." Isaiah said as he scribbled down his thoughts in a caramel colored notebook. I looked up at the strong man ripping through a thick turkey sandwich. His eyes and face were smiling, but I could feel a twinge of sadness coming from him. Jack felt my stare and looked up questioningly before I blushed and looked down.
"So, Vi, how did I get all my stuff?"
"We told your parents that we worked for a charity. and we would be ever-so-grateful if we could have your clothes and personal items. They were still in shock and so sad that they gave us everything but the furniture."
I swallowed back the hard lump in my throat. That's two kids my parents have lost now. Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. I picked up the cereal bowl and put it in the dishwasher.
"Hey, Cass, you ok?" Vi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna go to bed early."
"Ok, I'll get your class schedule for you, all right?"
I smiled and walked out.
Finding the dorms was easy enough. It was void of the talking and laughing I had found in the kitchen. It was dark and enjoyable in my current state of mind. I counted off the doors to find my room and locked the door behind me. Trying to be considerate of the people sleeping around me, I cried myself quietly to sleep.
"So how did you all explain my sudden disappearence to my parents?"
"Freak accident. An electric pole fell and a live water hit you, creating a body too badly burned to be identified. So out of the kindness of our hearts we pressured them into cremation. A tree is now in a lovely urn on your mantle."
I swallowed hard and Vi patted my hand.
"It's weird, I know. But trust me, it's a whole lot freakier to be able to visit your own grave." I shuddered.
"You'll get used to it. We all did after a while. Jack had to leave behind 5 sisters and brothers." Isaiah said as he scribbled down his thoughts in a caramel colored notebook. I looked up at the strong man ripping through a thick turkey sandwich. His eyes and face were smiling, but I could feel a twinge of sadness coming from him. Jack felt my stare and looked up questioningly before I blushed and looked down.
"So, Vi, how did I get all my stuff?"
"We told your parents that we worked for a charity. and we would be ever-so-grateful if we could have your clothes and personal items. They were still in shock and so sad that they gave us everything but the furniture."
I swallowed back the hard lump in my throat. That's two kids my parents have lost now. Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. I picked up the cereal bowl and put it in the dishwasher.
"Hey, Cass, you ok?" Vi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna go to bed early."
"Ok, I'll get your class schedule for you, all right?"
I smiled and walked out.
Finding the dorms was easy enough. It was void of the talking and laughing I had found in the kitchen. It was dark and enjoyable in my current state of mind. I counted off the doors to find my room and locked the door behind me. Trying to be considerate of the people sleeping around me, I cried myself quietly to sleep.