Salient Night

It was dark and the cool breeze was hitting us hard. The only thing that lit the place were a bunch of candles that were lit in the street.

The choir was singing, but I could hardly bear the sound coming from them...

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

It was like every word that came from their beautiful voices were a horror to me.

It was a terrible day. It was a day that no one imagined could ever happen..

I wanted to scream at the people singing and find whoever did this to them and make him feel the suffering of the people who were at this wake.

If someone had the right to live it was those innocent lives and not the crazed guy who took it away from them...

I wasn't at the scene when it all happened, I only found about it at the news and neither was anyone close to me part of what had happened but I felt extreme remorse..

Remorse for all the dreams that had shattered that day...

And all the lives that were lost..

In the cold of the dark night, I walked, thinking what could happen next after this night that was so silent yet so remarkably horrific.

I saw both men, women and children cry for the lives of those who died. I didn't know these people but it was like part of me cried with them. I continued to walk...

And I saw a tall blonde woman standing in front of her child's coffin, hugging a little brown bear. There were tears in her eyes but I could see the little smile in her lips as I stood beside her, I wanted to ask her what she would do next, how could she ever continue on with her life... but I stopped myself, I know all those stupid questions won't do anyone good, of course, she had no idea what would happen next so I just stood there thinking of what the child would have been if she was still with us, then moments after the long silence I felt cold hands touch my arm, slowly I turned my face towards the woman and in the dark of the night I still saw her smile at me, though her tears were still falling. She wipped away the tears from her face with her other hand and turned back towards the direction of her child and slowly removed her had away from me as she whispered. Her voice was so soft and you could feel the sadness in it but it was enough for me to hear through the cold hard wind that pounded among us,

"She was so adorable and full of light..."

I looked at her again and the smile that was in her face was gone and now all I could see in her eyes were the deep sorrow that she was feeling, "tell me more" I said, encouraging her to release everything that she was feeling.

"Everyday my little girl would always come from school and look for me in the kitchen and kiss me with her little lips. She would always tell me stories of how her day went, she was always my bundle of joy... Even when her dad left us she never hated him, I don't know if it was because she didn't understand or she was just too kind to hate anyone, she told me to find it in my heart to forgive him.

She always reminded me that God forgives people and so should I. She never wanted anyone, especially me to look sad, that's why I'm trying my best to look happy in front of her, but I guess I failed my little girl.."

I never really noticed it but as I listened to her story, tears were falling out of my eyes, but I only realized it when the woman handed me her handkerchief. I wanted to give her a big hug and tell her that everything's gonna be okay... but I knew it wasn't. I wipped the tears from my eyes, remembering what she had said that her little girl never liked anyone crying. I handed back handkerchief and smiled at her, I felt so stupid for feeling weaker than the people who actually lost the lives of their little ones. The woman smiled at me as she took her handkerchief and hid it back in her pocket as if treasuring the tears I've put on it. Slowly she turned to her child's coffin and took three steps forward; close enough to see her daughter's face, the woman smiled and gave her daughter's coffin a big hug as if giving her own child her hug.

I couldn't take it anymore, I knew if I stayed longer I would burst into tears like a lost little puppy, so I came close enough to give the woman a pat in the back as if re-assuring her of something... but then she whispered,

"I know this maybe hard but try tell everyone to "try", and try really hard, to forgive the man who did this to our children, not for my sake but for my little girl's... She always told me to "find it in my heart to forgive people" I know this time, she wants us to do the same.."

And with that she smiled at me, I knew she meant it and I gave her a quick, slight hug to assure her that I understood what she had said, and slowly, I walked away...

I felt the breeze cool my wet face, I let out a big breath, feeling as if I'm a different person. The child's request was hard but I knew the kid was right, God forgave and no matter how hard or how long, we should do the same... Right now, I guess I learned from that kid, that their lives didn't go to waste and now they're all in a better place, happily continuing the lives they left off here.. In the place where no one could hurt them, ever again.

*click* *click* *click* were the sound of the heels taping to the floor. It was the last thing I heard when I left that place then after, was pure silence.

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REVELATIONS 21:4 "And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

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Author's note: This story is purely fiction

And I, the author, would like to dedicate this story in honor and respect of all the children & families who were victims & survivors of the incident in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Condolences.