Three Last Days - an emotional short story about Depression

Day One - Undisonant

"... as calm as the sea, but as devastating as it becomes."- Vincent Krennerich

Why does the sound of the sea sound so calming and familiar, even though it is so strange and unfamiliar? It is actually just dark, cold water lapping on the beach and leaving behind white foam. Why do we humans find it pleasant to sit on the beach and follow the movements? Aurora wanted nothing more than to leave this beach house and sit down on the fine sand."I'm ... I'm sorry, Aurora," whispered Romy, pushing the plate away from her. "You're sorry?" Aurora repeated the statement as if she were saying something that pushed her to the limits of her human mind. As if it was something that went against all values and norms. "You both let me down and acted as if we didn't know each other," Aurora interjected, the young woman feeling the anger rising inside her like an unstoppable storm. Romy and Josephine lowered their eyes, not daring to look their former friend in the eye. Outside, the wind whistled, shaking the windows, while the waves became stormier, a thunderstorm was approaching.

"Listen, please, Aurora, it's been hard for all of us..." Josephine stood up and crossed her arms, perhaps from the cold, perhaps from anger. She walked to the window and watched her dark reflection in the glass. "We didn't know how to deal with it and ... you hadn't contacted me, you didn't want any contact ... that's why I thought you didn't want to see me," Josephine whispered, depressed. Her voice trembled. Romy also shook her head, barely noticing. "This meeting was supposed to reunite us ... and now we're arguing. I just wanted it to be like before," Romy said.

"Like before? My daughter is dead and you say you want me to pretend it's like it used to be?" Aurora's patience snapped. Her reason screamed against her accumulated anger and grief, but it failed miserably. Just as Aurora's voice failed. "I didn't want to come here in the first place. I knew that you would continue to treat me like you did before, that you would lie to me. But-" but Josephine interrupted her harshly. "Lying? So you assume that we always lie to you? Is that how you see us?" Josephine's fingers tightened on her sleeve.

"Yes. I don't believe a word you say. You didn't tell me the truth back then, I still don't know why my daughter, my Kara, took her own life. Damn it, just tell me what you know!" Aurora was close to screaming. "Please calm down, Aurora, let's not argue," Romy tried to calm the two women down.

Josephine could no longer bear the conversation and disappeared onto the terrace, even though the wind was tearing at her clothes. Aurora followed her dragging her feet, watching as her hostess and former friend hastily lit a cigarette and stared tensely at the rushing sea."I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to shout at you," Aurora whispered, pulling her jacket tighter around her. "It's all right, I can understand ... it's not easy to cope with the death of a loved one," she murmured, inhaling the smoke. Aurora suddenly looked seriously out to sea.

"Tell me, Josephine, why did you invite us here? What is the real reason for this meeting?" Aurora wanted to know. Josephine remained silent. She just listened to the noise.