Precious Miracles

Chapter 7

Even after everyone had gone home, I stayed behind, sitting next to Emily's grave. The air was cold and heavy, but I just couldn't find it in me to leave. I didn't want to go back to an empty home, and I didn't want to leave Emily, even though she was dead. I just wanted to stay where I was.

As the sun began to set, and the sky grew darker, I remained by Emily's grave, still trying to figure out how to face life without her. I wondered how I was going to ever be okay again. I didn't know how I would go on when my mother died, but then, I had Emily. I didn't have her anymore. I knew I had her parents, but they were grieving, too, probably even more than I was. I couldn't lean on them, as I didn't want to make things worse for them, so I was all alone. I had to deal with my grief by myself with no one to lean on, no one to comfort me, and no one to cry to every time I had to face yet another painful day in our house without her.

"I can't do this," I wept. "I can't do this, God! How am I supposed to...? I'm alone! I'm all alone, and I'm supposed to just keep living! How am I ever supposed to be okay again? How am I supposed to face... life?" I rested my chin on top of my knees, and buried my face in my hands, sobbing heavily. "I can't do this! I can't do this, God! I can't!"

As I sat there, bawling my eyes out, I felt a gentle hand caressing my back. I didn't want to move, not even to turn and see who it was, because I figured it was my imagination. I wanted to enjoy it for as long as it would last, so I stayed very still.

"Precious..."

I heard a very familiar whisper, and I knew it was my imagination. There was no way in hell it was real. I then felt fingers softly running through my hair, and I figured that I was starting to fall asleep again. This was a half-awake half-asleep dream. That's all it was. It wasn't real. I tried to force myself to accept that, because I knew I would end up heartbroken yet again if I let myself believe it was anything other than a dream or my mind playing tricks on me.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, a very long, skinny arm, and I tried to wriggle away, as I didn't want to believe it was what I'd hoped, only to find out it was nothing at all.

"It's alright, Precious," a familiar and kind voice said as they gently gripped my arm, and moved in closer. "We won't hurts you."

Really, brain?! I thought angrily to myself. Why are you doing this to me?! Then, I turned my head to see Sméagol sitting next to me with his arm around me.

"It's us," he said. "It's Sméagol, Precious."

I gazed at his face, and he looked as real as the headstone on Emily's grave. "You're... really here?"

"Yes!" he squeaked happily. "We comes back for you."

I took another look, and noticed he was much taller than before. He was still the same skinny, wiry creature I met in the dream, but he was much healthier. Then, I noticed one more thing. He was wearing a white onesie with wings, a tail, and a zipper down the front, just like the one Emily was buried in. Tears shot out of my eyes as he threw his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Awww, come here, Sweetheart!" he said so sweetly as he held me. "It'll be alright."

I continued sobbing in his arms, as I was so overcome with joy. He was no longer a figment of my imagination, but a real person with his arms around me.

"So... what happened after I...?" I couldn't finish that sentence out of guilt and shame.

"We goes to look for the Precious," said Gollum. "Many, many years it takes us, but we finds it at last."