When The Darkness Arrives

"Alice?"

I opened my eyes slightly and looked over at the time. Well I attempted to anyways, but my hair covered my face. Grunting, I  shoved my hair out of the way to.reveal the time; 7:34. I groaned and rolled over, wishing the world would just go away and let me sleep for a few more hours. I heard a few knocks on my door before I croaked out;

"What do you need?"

"Get your ass out of bed, it's Monday." My father screamed, violently beating the door with his fist a few more times.

"Dad, I don't feel well. I think it'd be best if I stayed home today." I called out in a quiet voice, not even sure if he'd be able to hear me through the door separating us. Again, I lied and told him I felt sick, when in reality, I couldn't handle being made fun of, punched and kicked every time I walked through the hallway.

I waited at least a minute, and just before I pulled myself out of bed I faintly heard him say;

"Fine. Get your brother up, and take him to school,"

I tried my hardest not to throw back a

"He's your son maybe you should care for him once in awhile," and pulled myself upright. My long brown hair hung in loose ringlets past my shoulders, just like my mothers had. Maybe that's why dad never wanted to see me.

As soon as that thought came in my mind, I pushed it as far away as possible and opened my door, hoping my dad would be gone.

My luck, he was nowhere in sight. I slowly made my way to my brothers bedroom, which was just down the hallway and to the left.

"Seth?" I said, trying to wake him up in a more polite manner than I was woken up in.

I slowly opened the door and peeked my head in to see him already up and dressed. His blond hair was cut short, and he had freckles covering his nose and a bit of his cheeks, his paleness only made his freckles stand out more.

"Alice, what if they make fun of me?" Seth asked me with a concerned look on his face. I walked over to him and pulled him in for a hug, imagining how hard it must be to start kindergarten thinking everyone is going to make fun of you,

"Why would they make fun of you?" I asked trying to be as soothing as my mother was to him.

"Because they have a mommy and I don't," Seth said quietly, so quietly it was barely audible. I pulled away from him and just then, I noticed he had tears streaked down his face and he had a photo in his hand. That same photo I had up on my wall.

It was of my mom, Seth and me, taken just a year ago, at the museum.

Trying my hardest to not cry in front of my brother and make him more sad, I hugged him again and assured him that they wouldn't make fun of him for anything. When I pulled away from him, I sent a quick smile his way and told him to get his backpack and lunch and as I watched his scurry away, I grabbed my car keys.

Just ten minutes later, Seth and I were making our way out the back door, so we wouldn't have to get a lecture from dad, about waking up so late. When we got outside, I felt the cold breeze hitting my rosy cheeks, just another trait I got from my mother. I hurried Seth to the car and helped him into his seat, and I checked and double checked that he had his seatbelt done up. A smile hasn't appeared on his face since I went into his room this morning.

He stared longingly out the window as I shut his car door, and made my way to the front seat.

I hopped in, and turned the car on not caring that the windshield had a layer of frost on it, and I slowly pulled out of the driveway, and began making my way to Hixon Elementary. I was deep in thought of how cold my hands were on the steering wheel that I barely heard Seth calling my name.

"Alice?"

"What is it, Seth?" I asked him, partly concerned but also partly annoyed that he ruined the silence that I don't hear often.

"Think we will ever see mom again?" He asked me, and I heard him hold back a sob, then he let out a loud sigh. Believe me, Seth, I wonder as well.

"I don't know, buddy," was all I said, staring straight ahead at the open highway in front of me.

Seth was old enough to understand what death was.

He knew mom was gone.

Forever.