Whispers of the Departed

-Nicole-

Change is scary.
Change is always going to be scary.
It's going to be hard for us both.
But in the end I know we'll both be fine.
The two of us always will be.

My dear Nicole.
You can't be so stupid.
You can't be so scared off by the past of others mistakes.
People will deceive you.
People will try and hurt you.
But I know you'll be fine.
You can't watch your friend get bullied,tortured and constantly chatted about and then turn a blind eye.
The only time you turned away you left.
You left me with them.
You knew I was struggling.
Then you came and took me with you and I will always praise you for that.
You're a kind girl,we all knew you were from the start thats why on that school trip I was so adamant to be your best friend.
And here we are.
You're the kind of girl people are intimidated of:you're sweet,your kind and you're a beautiful soul inside and out-I just know it.

But deep down as much as we were both struggling I knew the situations were far from similar.
You were scared and felt guilty.
I was trapped and on the edge.

Until I fell off.
There you were my sweet Nicole.
I know change is scary.
It always will be.
It's going to be hard,I know.
But in the end I know it will be fine.

My name is Sariyah Taylor.
I was just a few months into being 15 when I took my life on March,26 2024.
And ever since then everything has changed.
I'm scared of change.
But I know everything won't be fine.
Because we aren't the same my sweet Nicole.
You can handle it.
I get choked by the unknown.
But you figured that out when it was little too late.

You'll here me though Nicole.
You'll see me.
You'll feel me.

I'll be in the wistling winds of the cold Decembers winter night.
I'll be the bulbs of the daffodils,the new spring flowers,growing swiftly on a foggy May day.
I'll be the blinding sun shining down you on a bright summer day in late July.
I'll be the falling autumn leaves on a calm autumn day in October.

I'll be the whisper from the departed.
I'll be in your common dreams guiding you into the right direction.
For my sweet,sweet Nicole life isn't all flowers and April showers.
It's cold like December and dying like autumn leaves.
You can't see the good in the bad.
You only live once.

I want you to be successful Nicole.
For you deserve it.
You bring me happiness and joy when I needed it and for that I am grateful.
You always will be like that.
In the coldest of December nights you lit up the snowy paths.
In the destruction you bring peace and warmth to those who need it.

I see you as a sister.
I see you as a clone of me.
I see my reflection in you somewhere deep inside.

I'll be your side Nicole.
You're my family.
And no matter dead or alive I'll always get those out to get you.
Because you're a kind soul in a world of pure despair and destruction.
Now it's just my job to keep you in the right lane.

I know it won't be easy without me there Nicole.
We won't be able to have our random outbursts of laughter in geography and french.
We won't be able to eat together and talk to all the people about how wronged we were.
We won't be able to lie under the blankets in my cold,drafty room writing summer lists of things we need to do.
We won't be able to eat macaroni cheese with my annoying siblings,you wouldn't understand the pain because you have none-none that are close to you anyways-,you see my siblings and family as your second one.
We won't be able to be together.

But I'll always be with you whether or not my presence is seen.
I'll lead you out of the darkness like you did me.
For you deserve it Nicole.
You deserve the world.
And change will happen,it is scary but we both knew it was going to be that way.
Every step you take I'll be there.
Every small change I'll be there.
Every major event I'll be there.

I'll always be there to lift you up and protect you.
That's what friends are for.
I did it when I was alive there is nothing stopping me from doing it when I'm dead.

I love you Nicole.
I always will.