Autumn Secrets ✓

F i v e

~ L e v i ~

"W-What?" I stubbornly shook my head, not believing Seth's words, "What do you mean?"

"The cops found her body at the cliff foot. They said it was a suicide." Dennis said, sobbing into his hands.

I vigorously shook my head again, "No, no, no—it's not possible."

Having no strength to stand, I settled on the floor in exhaustion.

"Please tell me it's a lie." I looked at my brothers, clutching on my last shred of hope.

They didn't meet my eyes. I wished they did.

I wished for them to tell me that it was all a joke. A sick, twisted joke.

My throat felt heavy, and I knew that I would burst into a sobbing fit at any moment.

Gathering some energy, I stood back on my feet, "I-I'm going to my room."

I didn't want them to see me crying. I never did.

I heard Asher calling me, but I didn't turn back. Instead, I let my feet carry me to my room.

Reaching my room, I locked the door behind me and fell into a bearable solitude.

I sat on the floor again, leaning weakly against the wooden door.

"Why?" My voice was barely audible even to me.

I sobbed.

I sobbed like I had never done before.

I let out all of my bottled up feelings after shutting them up for so long.

I selfishly wept until I finally gave into sleep—a dreamless void sleep.

Heavy knocks on my bedroom door woke me up to the miserable reality.

Sniffing back my tears, I stood up on weak legs.

I had to stay strong. I had to stay strong for my brothers and for... Hannah.

I opened the door and saw Joshua standing before me but without his usual careless smile playing on his face.

Instead, he looked shattered—like we all did.

"The church authorities are downstairs." His gaze didn't waver from the floor. "They suggest holding the funeral tomorrow."

"Okay." I gulped down heavily. "I'm coming."

He put his hand on my shoulder, reassuringly and nodded at me before leaving.

° •
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° •

Just like that, my sister was buried six feet deep in the ground, as if she didn't mean anything anymore. And I could only simply stand there while it all happened.

My brothers and I had placed our respective buttons gifted by Hannah in her coffin before she was lowered into the earth. It just felt right to send her away happily by giving her our lucky charm.

Her hearty laughs, her fake scolding, her fierce determination, her affectionate love—all gone along with her. They all became a memory—just a memory to recall and cry.

The police were quick to conclude it as suicide, as it was the most convenient option for them. Moreover, the cops weren't quite fond of the Philips family, especially me.

After all, I was the troublemaker in town with my fights with jobless lads who were more interested in gawking my sister than getting a life. The authorities didn't want to create a panic in this peaceful town, so they just discarded her death as a mere suicide.

"Levi." Somebody put a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around only to wish I didn't.

"You?!" The intense venom in my voice was all directed towards the old man in front of me.

"Just me explain—" David brought his arms forward as if to calm me down.

"How dare you even be here!" I furiously held him by his collars. "You don't deserve to be here after what you've done to us!"

He didn't fight me. He just looked tired.

"Levi, I know I deserve whatever you give me." He looked at the ground.

"Of course, you do!" I hesitantly retreated my hands back.

This wasn't the David, I knew. This didn't seem like the man who used to be my father, even though either of us never considered it.

"I know that an apology won't take back what y'all must've gone through after I had—"

"Kicked us out," I nonchalantly intruded, and he didn't argue because he knew that I was right.

He nodded in hesitation. "Yeah... but I just wanted to say that I am sorry."

"Save it, David," I snapped and started to walk away.

"No, Levi—don't leave." He grabbed my arm to stop me.

The nerve of this man!

I turned around to face him. "Why would you want to become the good guy all of a sudden?" I took a step forward. "Is it because of Hannah's death, huh?"

He gaze was still focussed on the muddy cemetery ground. "I don't have any excuse to defend me—"

"Then you should better leave!" I seethed at him in rage.

If he didn't leave soon, all my frustration for losing my sister might be taken out on this weakling.

"O-Okay Levi, I am leaving." He took an envelope from his pants pocket. "But, please accept this."

I eyed the white envelope in suspicion. For all I knew, this man would want me and my brothers dead.

"It's a check—a blank check," He explained, noticing my unease.

As always advised by Hannah, I took deep breaths to lessen my anger. If he stood there for a moment longer, then another body might have to be buried here, just soon.

"David, we don't need your money—not anymore," I sternly said, leaving no room for arguments. "And also, why would you waste your wealth on us? Or strays  as you have always preferred to use."

"Levi, as I had already said, I have no reasonable excuse to cover up my mistakes, and I am ashamed of my previous actions and—I would do anything to make it right," He said with an underlying tone of hope in his voice.

"Then do one thing and leave already," I said with no remorse.

"Fine." He nodded in defeat, "But just know that... I didn't kill my wife. I could never."

For the first time since this unfortunate meeting, he looked straight into my eyes.