Alone I Break | LingOrm FF

~ Part 3 ~

"Orm?" Mikey placing a hand on the motionless blonde's shoulder.

She didn't flinch at the unexpected touch, nor did she answer him. Her eyes were trained solely on the patch of dirt that now rested above her much-loved brother. As far as Mikey could tell, Orm had been standing that way for nearly an hour. The graveside services were long over, and now the young man had to figure out a way to get his friend to leave. He knew it wasn't healthy for her to stay there much longer.

"Orm? We should go. Everyone is already back at the house," he told her, referring to the post-funeral gathering.

Silence again greeted Mikey. He wasn't even sure she heard him. It unnerved him the way she just stood there, staring blankly before her.

"I don't want to leave him," she finally whispered several minutes later. "He'll be all alone."

Mikey fought back tears at the words she had spoken. His heart, already broken by the loss of James, shattered further at the brutal statement. As heavy as his own grief was, he knew that Orm's was a hundred times worse. Her entire world was crumbling. Again. He was seriously concerned for her welfare after this latest blow. How much could one person take before they broke? He would do anything possible, though, to keep that from happening. Orm had always been like a sister to him, and James was his best friend. It was his job now to keep her safe.

"He's not alone, Orm," he said comfortingly, pulling her into a hug. "His soul is up in Heaven with your mom."

Orm choked back a sob, squeezing Mikey tighter. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so," Mikey reaffirmed.

"I miss him," she spoke in a whimper.

"I do, too," he whispered. "But he'll always be watching over you. That's what big brothers do."

She didn't respond, too lost in her grief to say anything more. Mikey simply held her in his arms, doing the only thing he could do at the moment. It wasn't much, but he hoped she would realize that she wasn't alone.

A few raindrops hit Mikey's skin. He looked up at the sky, seeing the dark clouds looming. "We should go before it starts pouring."

~'~'~ 

Like a robot, Orm moved throughout the house, accepting condolences from close friends, casual acquaintances, and perfect strangers. She didn't want to hear their kind words. What she wanted was to have her brother back, for James to come rushing down the stairs because he was late for practice again. But he would never go to practice again. He'd never do anything anymore. He was dead.

The word 'dead' echoed inside her mind. Her steps faltered. She would have fallen if the kitchen counter hadn't been nearby for her to grab on to. For several minutes she remained in that position, gripping the counter so hard her knuckles turned white. She could hear the voices of people speaking in the next room, but they sounded so far away. But not far enough. She wanted them all to go away, to leave her alone.

"Orm?" Mikey's voice broke through her thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Orm willed a small smile onto her face and turned to look at her friend. The moment she saw his eyes, her steely façade almost crumbled, but she held on. He couldn't see her cry. They couldn't see her cry. Just a little bit longer and they would all be gone.

"Yeah?" she asked dully.

"I've, uh, gotta go to work. Are you going to be okay? I can call in sick if you need me to," Mikey offered, taking a step toward her. He would have been lying if he said the dead look in her eyes didn't bother him.