Short Stories

Hope

                      His limp hand in hers, tears flowing in rivers made pools on the floor. Her breathless sobs, the slow beep of a monitor, and her father's raspy breath were the only audible sounds. The breath stopped, a few seconds later the monitor went from slow beeps to one long heart-piercing one. The girl fell silent as grief and horror welled up in her. She screamed and cried, she yelled at death for taking the only person who she believed loved her. Her step-mother dragged her away, the girl wouldn't leave without a fight. She kicked, bit her step-mother, she pleaded nurses to let her stay. No one could look at the girl, her puffy red eyes, her shirt soaked with tears, her hair plastered to her face, her miserable cries as the world abandoned her.

                      She trudged to school the next day, the beautiful green blossoming trees withered and fell grey as she walked by, the sky turned an evil grey. Fluffy, white clouds were consumed menacing  storm clouds; the whole world lost its colour. People shied away from the black and white world of the grief-stricken girl. Her best friend hid from her. Ribbons of pain and grief swirled around her tying knots and pulling her further away from the real world every time she tried to escape hers. The knots tightened around her chest pulling her closer to death as she too lost colour. 

                       The next day she didn't go to school she hid in the forest beside the school and for the first and last time in her life she slept soundly in the grass. As night began to fall she awoke, she stood and ran as fast as she could to the overpass. She stood alone as a black blanket fell over the world. A smoky hand outstretched to her, a terrifying, grim voice beckoned her to take Death's hand. Death exclaimed she could be with her father and her mother and be happy. The girl took a step closer to death's hand as another hand was thrust in front of her, belonging to a girl with beautiful cocoa coloured skin. The girl turn and grabbed new girl's hand. the new girl spoke softly

"My name is Hope"