I sat by the freshly dug grave of my parents, my heart heavy with grief and anger. The cool breeze did little to soothe the burning ache in my chest. It felt like the world had stopped, and all I could do was stare at the earth that now separated me from the two people who had always loved me unconditionally.
Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around me tightly. I turned to find my sister, Mia, holding me as she sobbed. She had two kids and a husband, and I could feel her pain as she cried for what we had lost. "I'm so sorry, Seth," she whispered through her tears. "We should have been here. We didn't know..."
Before I could respond, my other sister, Lila, rushed over, tears streaming down her face. The sight of them both overwhelmed me with anger instead of comfort. I stood up abruptly, shaking them off. "Where the hell were you before this?" I shouted, my voice breaking. "Mom worried about you every single day. She cried herself to sleep, feeling abandoned and neglected! And now you come here after they're gone?"
They stood silent, guilt etched on their faces, but I didn't want to hear their excuses. I was tired of their absence when it mattered most. "I don't want to see any of you after this," I spat, my voice dripping with bitterness. "You don't get to come back now and pretend you care!"
Mia opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. "No! You don't get to explain away the years you've been gone. Mom was in pain every day, and you all abandoned her when she needed you the most."
With that, I turned and walked away, leaving them standing in the shadows of our parents' grave. I needed air, space-anything to escape the suffocating emotions threatening to drown me.
When I finally returned home, the emptiness of the house swallowed me whole. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts spiraling into a dark abyss. Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence. I sat up, heart racing, but I already knew who it was.
"Please, Seth. I'm so sorry," Emily's voice came through the door, trembling with regret. I felt a mix of anger and sadness swell within me, but I remained silent, too shattered to respond.
"Please just let me in. I need to talk to you," she pleaded, her voice breaking. But I didn't want to hear it. I was tired-tired of everything, tired of the betrayal, tired of the grief.
After a moment, I heard her footsteps retreating. I felt a wave of emptiness wash over me. Even when she showed remorse, I couldn't shake the feeling that nothing could fix what was broken.
Later that night, as I lay in bed trying to find solace in sleep, something caught my attention. A strange letter slipped under my door. I picked it up, confused, and opened it. The note read:
If you want to save your parents, act quickly. Your sisters are the next targets. Time is running out.
A chill ran down my spine as I processed the words. What kind of sick joke was this? But deep down, a flicker of hope ignited within me. I couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else.
"Of course I want to save them," I muttered to myself. But as I said it, nothing happened. No rush of clarity, no sign that I could do anything to change the course of fate. Just the weight of my despair pressing down on me, making me feel foolish for believing in the impossible.
I tossed the letter aside and lay back down, the darkness of sleep enveloping me. I was broken, tired, and desperate for answers. I really-really want to die right now.