Status: A piece I wrote for my writing portfolio
I'll See You In My Dreams
1/1
The stiff room was filled with the sound of mere murmers as the black clad guests whispered to one another, gossiping most likely over the recently deceased. Alex however, sat crestfallen in the back of the room, in the very last row of seats as opposed to the seat beside his father up in the front; Up in the front and next to the open casket.
The boy, only at the young age of twelve had lost his only brother, not caring that technically Tom had only been half related to him on his dad's side. Alex had still looked up to the older boy, them being some seven or eight years apart in age, not that it mattered to the younger.
The two didn't even see each other often, only when Tom would fly over to the states from his home in England to visit his father, and of course Alex.
Tom's visits were never happy ones, always ending with him leaving after having a big blow out with his father while Alex simply sat back and listened from his hiding place at the top of the steps. He never understood exactly why his half-brother was always so angry with their father.
The room began to clear after the service had officially ended, leaving the downcast boy on his own, as the members of his family decided to let him have his moment to say goodbye.
Rising slowly to his feet, Alex looked forward to the coffin, a shaky breath leaving his body as he was finally able to grasp the reality the situation for the very first time. He knew what awaited him, yet his feet refused to move from the spot where they had molded themselves, leaving him planted and staring at the simple wooden structure.
"You need to do this," He thought to himself forcefully, to his feet more so.
Taking a hesitant step forward, he began the short journey to the casket, the aisle seeming to stretch out before him more and more with each faltering movement.
It wasn't until he finally managed to get to the front of the room that he stopped, the sight of his brother's pallid skin and dead appearance making him feel a slight churning in the pit of his stomach. The last time he had seen the elder boy his face had been so full of life and color, even if he had stormed away from the small house on his way back to either the bar or an airport.
Alex thought back to all the memories he had that held Tom within them, reflecting on all the times he had spent with the man who had turned into such a mess.
He wasn't supposed to know how Tom had died, but he had overheard his parent's talking, returning to his hiding place just an hour after they had delivered the news to him. He wanted to know how, what had killed his brother, but they had refused to tell him. So he did what he thought he had to so that he could know the truth.
His father had mentioned the drinking and a bar fight in Essex, England, the place where Alex had been born. He wasn't sure if he truly understood what had happened, or if he ever would until he finally grew up, but he did know that he never wanted to put his family through the same pain.
It had torn his father to pieces to lose a son, to lose any family in general, but a son none the less. It had been hard on everyone, upon hearing of Tom's end, and it tore the family apart to have a loved one leave them at such a young age. Tom had only been twenty-one when he died, too young to lose a life.
Staring down at the now lifeless form was disturbing almost for the boy, the sight of someone so close to him, someone who he could have learned so much from.
The life extinguished from him, like the flame of a candle being blown out. One second it's there, burning bright and strong, and with a small gust it's gone as if it was never there; nothing left but the last remnants of smoke mixing into the air.
"Goodbye," Alex mumbled quietly under his breath, one of his small hands drifting ever so gently over the edge of the casket's polished wood, the material feeling too smooth under his finger tips.
Dropping his hand back down to his side once more Alex took one last look at Tom's emotionless face before turning away, trying to keep the tears welling up in his eyes at bay at least until he could be home with no one to see them.
"I'm so sorry," He whispered in his last goodbye to his half-brother, letting only a small tear free as he walked away.
The boy, only at the young age of twelve had lost his only brother, not caring that technically Tom had only been half related to him on his dad's side. Alex had still looked up to the older boy, them being some seven or eight years apart in age, not that it mattered to the younger.
The two didn't even see each other often, only when Tom would fly over to the states from his home in England to visit his father, and of course Alex.
Tom's visits were never happy ones, always ending with him leaving after having a big blow out with his father while Alex simply sat back and listened from his hiding place at the top of the steps. He never understood exactly why his half-brother was always so angry with their father.
The room began to clear after the service had officially ended, leaving the downcast boy on his own, as the members of his family decided to let him have his moment to say goodbye.
Rising slowly to his feet, Alex looked forward to the coffin, a shaky breath leaving his body as he was finally able to grasp the reality the situation for the very first time. He knew what awaited him, yet his feet refused to move from the spot where they had molded themselves, leaving him planted and staring at the simple wooden structure.
"You need to do this," He thought to himself forcefully, to his feet more so.
Taking a hesitant step forward, he began the short journey to the casket, the aisle seeming to stretch out before him more and more with each faltering movement.
It wasn't until he finally managed to get to the front of the room that he stopped, the sight of his brother's pallid skin and dead appearance making him feel a slight churning in the pit of his stomach. The last time he had seen the elder boy his face had been so full of life and color, even if he had stormed away from the small house on his way back to either the bar or an airport.
Alex thought back to all the memories he had that held Tom within them, reflecting on all the times he had spent with the man who had turned into such a mess.
He wasn't supposed to know how Tom had died, but he had overheard his parent's talking, returning to his hiding place just an hour after they had delivered the news to him. He wanted to know how, what had killed his brother, but they had refused to tell him. So he did what he thought he had to so that he could know the truth.
His father had mentioned the drinking and a bar fight in Essex, England, the place where Alex had been born. He wasn't sure if he truly understood what had happened, or if he ever would until he finally grew up, but he did know that he never wanted to put his family through the same pain.
It had torn his father to pieces to lose a son, to lose any family in general, but a son none the less. It had been hard on everyone, upon hearing of Tom's end, and it tore the family apart to have a loved one leave them at such a young age. Tom had only been twenty-one when he died, too young to lose a life.
Staring down at the now lifeless form was disturbing almost for the boy, the sight of someone so close to him, someone who he could have learned so much from.
The life extinguished from him, like the flame of a candle being blown out. One second it's there, burning bright and strong, and with a small gust it's gone as if it was never there; nothing left but the last remnants of smoke mixing into the air.
"Goodbye," Alex mumbled quietly under his breath, one of his small hands drifting ever so gently over the edge of the casket's polished wood, the material feeling too smooth under his finger tips.
Dropping his hand back down to his side once more Alex took one last look at Tom's emotionless face before turning away, trying to keep the tears welling up in his eyes at bay at least until he could be home with no one to see them.
"I'm so sorry," He whispered in his last goodbye to his half-brother, letting only a small tear free as he walked away.
♠ ♠ ♠
So I wrote this up for my writing portfolio that I have to submit to get into this school for the arts and I figured I might as well post it on here~