Hurt- A Rammstein Story

I Am Become Death

The unrelenting drizzle of rain had fallen since the early hours of the morning that day.  As the mass of figures dressed in black approached, the sky seemed to grow darker. The wet dead leaves beneath their feet crunched under the weight. 

Richard fell behind the pack, staring up at the sky with growing resentment. His eyes closed and he let the feeling of the frigid rain hitting his skin fill him with ice. His mind began to fill with images of her.

As he let the other pass him by, another took notice of his absence. Paul turned his head to see his friend standing motionless. He made a noise resembling a whistle and the other four whipped their heads around simultaneously. None of them made a move, allowing Paul to go up to him personally.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, placing a calloused hand on his shoulder.

Richard kept his eyes closed, nodding his head as he let out a sigh. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a woman hunched over as she wept. A man draped his arm around her as if she were made of china, afraid of her breaking. This was Alese's mother, a woman who had just lost her only daughter. Her feeble cries echoed through the rain.

"Richard?" Paul said, breaking his trance.

Richard felt his limbs grow heavy and it took all of his strength to get them to coordinate enough to walk forward again. Paul helped fix his jacket and clapped him on the back.

"We are here for you," He murmured and the others nodded in agreement. Richard kept his eyes ahead as he walked. While Paul kept a hand on his back, the others flanked behind in a protective circle. The mourners stared as the boys walked. Nobody made eye contact with them.

Richard looked ahead to the men carrying the coffin. The dark chestnut wood was decorated at the trim with flowers, delicate touch to the hard surface. It made his stomach churn to think that Alese was within, cold and alone for the rest of eternity.  He turned his head away suddenly, unable to keep his eyes on her wooden encasement.

He tore away from the procession as Paul and the others watched him go. Till pursed his lips as he watched Richard stalk up an incline, toward a small figure at the top of the hill. His eyes fell on her and he frowned.

It isn't your fault.

-

Kat leaned against the tree, a cigarette balanced between her pale fingers. Her eyes stared into the distance, taking in the Swedish countryside. It was quiet there, a rolling landscape of trees surrounding the graveyard.

She blew out a thick cloud of smoke as her sight locked on to an approaching figure. He was hunched forward, a stern look souring his face. Clearly, he was having trouble climbing the steep incline.

"Having a good time?" She called out to him, extending her arm to offer him the cigarette.

"Ja. Großartig," He grunted, not even looking up as he grabbed the cigarette and pressed it to his lips. He took a position beside her, peering down at the figures huddled around the coffin. She folded her arms over her chest, letting her head rest against the towering spruce tree.

"Less rain up here," She noted, nodding at the canopy above them.

He nodded in response, taking a deep breath as his eyes fell to the ground. She paid him no mind as he threw down the cigarette and squashed it beneath his dress shoes.

The crowd below unfolded umbrellas as the rain came down harder. 

Kat shivered as she felt the icy drops hit her skin, bouncing slightly as she tried to get blood to flow through her.

With a sudden gasp, she felt arms wrap around her and pull her from the tree. Richard pulled her close to him, placing herself in front of him as his chest pressed against her back. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt the warmth engulf her.