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» THE WORLD BEFORE PT.2 «

The Circle Of Life: Final Stage

The funeral was about as depressing as I expected it to be. In fact, even more so- I didn't expect Heather to cling so tightly to my jacket as she held back her sobs. Her continuous sniffles caused spikes of pain in my chest, each one like a bullet whizzing past my ear. She was mourning, we all were, and it was all such bullshit.

Siddiq was never supposed to die, not like that. He was one of the only people I could really defend as a truly great person. There was no evil within him, no hatred or anger. All he ever wanted was to help people and now he was dead.

"...and take my life if death is better for me." Gabriel continued, his gaze drifting sadly over the crowd of people. And it was a big crowd, too, because everyone loved Siddiq. He somehow buried himself in the hearts of each every resident, whether it was as a friend or as a doctor.

I knew Gabriel was just doing his job, but I couldn't help my wince at the passage he recited. He made it sound like Siddiq was better now, like death would treat him better than life. He was wrong. He belonged here, with his daughter, with his family, with me. It was so disgustingly typical that we didn't get our chance, our future. Maybe I was selfish for thinking it, but I deserved to be happy, too. We deserved to be a family, together.

The service was over before I knew it, the somber crowed dispersing to their homes to secretly weep away from watchful eyes.

I waited as Heather stumbled towards the grave, her tiny fingers separating the dirt before burying the green stem of a flower in it.

"It's orange because you told me that's your favourite colour." I heard her whisper, her hand wiping under her nose as she returned to my side.

I brushed a hand over her hair fondly, a weak smile on my cracked lips. "I'll just be a second." I mumbled, my arm floating down as I wandered over to the mound of freshly dug dirt.

"I..." My words faltered before I could even get them out, each syllable snagging in my throat like a thorn. What was I supposed to say?

I blinked tears back, my eyes avoiding the grave desperately until they landed on something else. A collection of white pebbles shaped into a 'C', marking the resting place of someone else I loved. A breathy chuckle released unconsciously from my mouth, the sound drained of humour as I sunk my fingers into the grass.

"Take care of each other up there." I muttered quietly, the statement inaudible to living ears. But they would've heard it, and they would've listened.

I stood up quickly, running my fingers harshly down my face as I shook off the sadness. Crying wouldn't help anyone right now, not when I could actually do something.

"Can we see Rosita? And Coco?" Heather tugged my hand eagerly, her eyebrows drawn pleadingly. "She's gonna need some help, right? With babysitting, I mean."

I considered her offer carefully, realising she was probably right. "Why don't you go see if she needs anything, I'll come by later." I suggested, encouraging her to find the woman in question.

I waited until she was inside the house, the door clicking shut behind her, before wandering over to the cells. With a final glance around the community I descended the stairs, my footsteps silent against the stone.

The door wasn't so quiet as I shut it, Dante's head shooting up at the sound. He let out a low, amused chuckle as I neared the metal bars, his eyes meeting mine curiously.

I couldn't imagine how I looked right now. A full night of screaming and crying didn't exactly do a world of good to a person's appearance, not to mention the tangle of black hair on my head or the way my entire body shook. Whether it was anger or nerves, I couldn't be sure.