Blood Moon Lake

Chapter 41

We sat there surrounded by trees. No one said a word. It wasn't just us who were quiet, it was the whole forest. The only sound that could be heard was Chase's sobbing. It was like every creature could hear his cries and were offering their silent comfort. They let him mourn in silence. It was like all life had felt his loss and understood. Maybe I've never watched people mourn or maybe this is different but it seemed like the whole world was aching with him. All of Chase's sorrow and loss for his brother- no his twin was pouring out of him and spreading everywhere it could touch. I've heard people say twins share souls and now I think it might be true. He cried like he'd lost half of himself. Like something had been ripped out and it couldn't be replaced. Someone had cut out his heart and returned half of it.

Like he was a body with one lung, the other was missing and he didn't know what to do anymore. None of us knew what to do. So we sat there and let Amelia comfort him. Hoping she might be able to ease a little of his pain. I'm not sure if there was anything we can do. He doesn't know us. I don't think he wants my sympathy. Probably doesn't want any of our sympathy but I feel wrong not doing anything. Maybe it's best if we leave him alone? Some people like grieving in solitude. I think it's best if we let him be. Let him grieve and be there when he's ready to move on. Hopefully, Carmen went to heaven. If he did there's a chance Chase might see him again there. Maybe they'll reunite and be together again. That's the one thing I like about death. You'll get to see those who went before you. You can smile and laugh with them again. Though that doesn't make people leaving hurt any less.

I wonder what Amelia, Carmen, and Chase would have been doing if they hadn't been pulled into the middle of this. Would Carmen have still passed? Was this simply his appointed time regardless of the circumstances? Or would he have lived on if none of this had ever happened? I didn't know Carmen that long, but he seemed nice. I'm sure he was a very pleasant person to be around. Seems like a person who made a lot of friends, I'm sure they'll be shocked when they find out what happened. I wonder... how much will his death change? There's something called the butterfly effect. One small thing can send out a ripple effecting other things in big ways. What will Carmen's ripple do? Will his impact be positive or negative? Maybe it will be both. Maybe good and bad will come from this, maybe people will be effected in both ways. After all, it's not just good and evil. At least that's what I was always told. I think it's true.

If everything way black and white people wouldn't question if something was truly bad. People wouldn't question how good a thing was. It would just be and everyone would know. It would be a simple as that. Slowly, the dark began to chase the sun out of the sky and the forest was soon painted black. Lying down, I stared up into the sky. Far from the city lights thousands of stars twinkled in the sky. Some shone brighter than others, but if you looked hard enough you could find the ones that twinkled shyly. I like to think those stars are the quiet ones, they're just as beautiful as the others but they aren't as vocal. Anna shared that analogy with me. I think it's because she can feel unsee at times. As odd as it sounds, in a room full of people she makes herself fade into the background. Never as talkative as she is when it's just us around. Because of that people forget about her, and even if she doesn't admit it makes her feel left out.

I think Jack can feel that way too. Though sometimes he disappears on purpose. Ella never seems to disappear, at least not in my opinion. She always seems to stand out, you can always see or hear her. She likes being noticeable. I think it's because she's afraid to disappear. Huh, it's funny. Stargazing was something I wanted to do at the cabin. Crazy that I'm doing it now. "I heard people turn into stars when they die," Leo stated breaking the silence. I sat up and gave him a questioning look. Should we be bringing this up now? "Oh yeah," Jack nodded, "Me too. Whenever someone dies a new star appears in the sky that night. If you look hard enough you're supposed to be able to find it." "Really?" Amelia asked looking up at the sky. "Yeah," Leo nodded, "I think I saw my mom the night she died. I bet you Carmen is up there somewhere." "You really think so?" Chase asked tiredly. "Yeah," he replied, "I do." "Hm," Chase hummed looking up, "That's a nice thought. Do you think they can see us?" "Yeah," Leo smiled, "I think they can. They get to watch over us until we join them."

"Like a guardian angel?" I asked. "Sort of," Leo nodded, "I don't think they can protect us like one though. Only guide us." I nodded, that's an interesting thought. "Guide us like keeping us from bad decisions?" Chase asked. "Sometimes," Leo replied, "Sometimes they guide us back to the right path and sometimes the guide us to the right people. It depends on the situation." Chase smiled, "Carmen'll be good at that. He always had a way with leading people in the right direction. Had to help me more than once." "Then you shouldn't have to worry to much," Leo smiled, "He'll lead you wherever you need to go." "He better," Chase chuckled, "Or else I'm revoking his direction privileges." "I don't think that's how that works," Leo said. "Is now," he replied, "Is now." Silence settled back over the clearing, it wasn't quite as heavy. The sadness wasn't gone but a weight had been lifted. One by one we each laid down and drifted to sleep.

I know it's short but it's said what it needed to. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Make sure to drink water. Have a great day! Bye!