Unhappily ever after

Chapter 13 - Time is all we have

"What have you done?"

I felt my heavy, quick breaths start to slow down. Although my body still trembled.

It was Becky who answered. Not me.

"Someone shot her. We were just talking and then she just..."

"Is this true?" He says, turning to face me.

I nod, not able to speak. Feeling more tears run down my face.

"Do you know who shot her?"

Melody answered this time.

"We didn't see, it was too dark."

He looked back at Maddy and the woods fell completely silent. The birds stopped chirping. The wind stopped blowing and the trees stood still. It was like all of time had stopped.

Even though we were all crying, we fell silent with everything around us. We stood there holding our shovels, looking at Maddy's still, frozen eyes. She would never blink again. Let alone breathe.

I noticed a glimmer of light from above, and I looked up to the sky, to see that the stars had come out. They had come out for her.

I let out a deep breath, watching the stars shine in the sky. She was up there, I knew she was. Up with the stars tonight, shining among them.

Noah kisses her forehead and lifts her body up and places her gently in the hole that we buried. He stands up and stares at her still body. He stifles a sob and sighs. He closes his eyes tightly for a moment.

Then he picks up Becky's shovel from the ground and starts to dig up the dirt and place it on Maddy. He does this without stopping until he fills up the hole. He makes sure the ground is covered evenly and then steps back and observes the ground beneath his feet.

Still looking at the ground, he says. "Get your stuff, make sure you don't leave anything behind. We're all going home. Now."

He looks up at us. I can see the pain in his eyes as he says this. "No one talks about tonight. To anyone. No one can know. Let her rest in peace."

He looks at me and I go to speak but he cuts me off. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

I close my mouth and nod. Feeling guilty, even though I'm not the one that killed her. In the end, I led her here. I should feel guilty.

Me and Noah head to the shed to clean the shovels and put them back. I also make sure I clean the gloves thoroughly and put them back too. While we do this, Ella, Melody and Becky wait in the car for us.

I'm cleaning the last shovel when Noah speaks up. "I'm sorry I said that back there. I was just... I just don't know how to feel about anything anymore. I just don't get it."

"No, don't apologise!" I said. "You have no reason to. She came to confront me and it led her to... She loved you and cared for you. Remember that."

"How could anyone do this to her?"

I look at him, speechless. We finish up in silence and head back to the car, where the girls are anxiously waiting for us.

Becky drives us all home. And I sneak into my house through the back. I have a way of getting in without being seen or heard. There's an old pipe at the back of my house, I can easily climb it. It leads to my balcony. I unlock the double doors, leading into my bedroom.