Sinner H.S

42

tw: suicide

No Perspective

June 25 2008 (9 years old)

Harry is walking home from a long day at school. His sister - Grace - wasn't feeling well, so she demanded to stay home, Grace is only 3 years younger than Harry, but despite the age gap they were always so close like best friends, usually after school Harry and Grace would walk home together, they'd talk the whole way, well mostly Grace. She loved school, she only had a few friends but she loved going there, her teachers were always nice, she was smart and doing well. On the other hand, Harry had different opinions. He never fitted in, the cool kids always bullied him. School wasn't a place Harry enjoyed very much, but he did prefer it better than home. His heavy backpack sits on his shoulders as he drags his tired feet across the concrete of the sidewalk.

He reaches his house, he stares at it; mentally preparing himself for whatever mood his father is in. He twists open the gold doorknob and is surprised and relieved when he finds that the house is empty. He sighs, dropping his backpack beside the door and closing it. He went up the stairs and headed to his sister's room to see how she's doing. "Grace." He calls out but no response. He opens her bedroom door, her bed was empty.

Harry looks around the room confused. He then called her name once more. "Gracie? Where'd you go?" He says as he walks around the whole upstairs. Harry passes the bathroom but pauses once he realizes how wet the floor has gotten. The bathroom light was also on.

"Grace are you in there?" He says as he puts his ear to the door. He can hear the water turned on but there was no response. The water comes out through the small opening from the floor and the actual door. "Grace open the door." Harry says worried as he knocks, she doesn't say anything. "Gracie please." Tears are in his eyes now.

He tries twisting the door knob but it won't budge. She locked herself in.

"Grace, I'm coming in." He warns her as he tries to push the door open with the side of his body, at first attempt it doesn't work, but after several tries the door breaks open. Water gushes out and Harry is frozen as he watches the water rush down into the hallway.

His eyes scan the bathroom, and immediately he notices his sister in the overflowing bathtub. She was unconscious. Tears flooded Harry's eyes as he ran toward her.

"Grace!" He screamed as he pulled her out of the tub, her body was heavy and cold. All the colour had disappeared from her skin.

She was wearing a white sleeping gown, her favourite dress she wears when she sleeps. Harry puts her head on his lap, as she tries to shake his sister awake. "Gracie, please wake up. Wake up Gracie." He pleads but she's completely senseless.

"Please," He cries as he lightly slaps her cheek. "I need my sister." His voice breaks. Her dark brown hair was sticking to her face, Harry gently brushed them away, noticing how blue her lips were.

He watched his lifeless sister lay on his lap, he kept thinking how this is all his fault. 'Maybe if I asked her if she was okay one more time' He thought. 'If I just told her that she could tell me anything'

He sobs into her deceased body, holding her one last time. One hand on her back to hold her up, and the other on the back of her head. "I love you so much, Grace." He whispers, as he tries to gasp for air. "You didn't have to leave." He says quietly. "You should've talked to me."

He gently lays her back down on his lap, as he looks at her one last time. Examining all her features, how her favourite things about her have no colour. Her beautiful red freckled cheeks had disappeared. He then began to think of the last time she was alive. This morning. Harry had gone to her room, woke her up telling her to get ready for school. But she told Harry that she wanted to stay home. He examined her and decided to let her stay. He tucked her purple blanket and kissed her forehead.