Elizabeth

A Night To Forget

As they stood before the freshly dug grave, the silence was heavy and oppressive. The air was thick; the only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

Brian knelt down, placing a bouquet of wildflowers on the soil. "Goodbye, Freddie," he whispered, his voice soft and broken.

As Brian stepped back, tears streaming down his face, Ronnie stepped forward and added a few more flowers to the mound.

As they all stood there, the reality of their loss sinking in, Liz finally found her voice. "We... We can't just stand here forever," she said, her voice shaking. "We have to get out of here."

They all exchanged glances, knowing she was right. Reluctantly, they turned and began to make their way back through the forest.

The walk back was silent, each person lost in their own thoughts. Brian stumbled, his eyes fixed on the ground as he walked. Ronnie looked up to the sky, her eyes dry but her heart heavy. Liz walked with her head hung low, her fists clenched tightly. And John, though he tried to hold himself together, couldn't keep his shoulders from shaking with silent sobs.

They finally reached the edge of the forest and stepped out onto the road. The night was still and quiet, save for the sound of crickets and the occasional car passing by.

"Hey, um... John?" Brian wiped his nose and turned to his crying friend. 

John looked up, his eyes red and puffy. "Yeah?" He asked through sobs.

"Didn't you get a hotel room for tonight?" He asked.

John's face creased in thought momentarily, digging back through his memories. "Yeah..." He said finally, remembering the reservation he had made earlier.

"I-I think it's safer if we don't go home tonight." Brian muttered.

John nodded in agreement. "Yeah... Yeah, you're right. But how are we going to get there...?"

Brian's eyes widened in realization. "My car. It's parked a couple of blocks away. We can take that."

They walked quickly but quietly, their footsteps echoing in the empty streets.

It wasn't long before they reached the parking lot where Brian's car was parked. They looked around, checking to make sure no one was paying them any attention, before climbing in.

Brian took the driver's seat, while John, Liz, and Ronnie piled into the backseat. Brian fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking as he tried to insert the key into the ignition.

"Where do we even go from here?" Ronnie asked softly, her voice thick with grief.

"I'm not sure," Brian replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "We just... We just keep moving, I guess. One step at a time."

Liz sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I don't know if I can do this. Keep going, after..." Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Brian's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "We don't have a choice. We have to keep pushing, for Freddie's sake. He... He wouldn't want us to get killed, right?"

John let out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh and hollow. "Yeah, because we've done such a great job keeping him safe so far."

 Tears welled up in Ronnie's eyes again. "Don't say that. It's not your fault, John. None of us could have seen this coming."

"We sat there, thinking we were safe!" John started crying again. "I-I just... When the chandelier fell, part of the ceiling fell too. And-and.." His voice was drowned out by his tears.