The Harp

Chapter 1 (Conor)

I sit by the edge of the woods. I do this often now that she's gone. Its seems as if this isn't real and that i'll wake up from this dream any moment. But I know that's not true. Now that she's gone mom and dad are gone ore often and the little kids cry more often in the night. She was the only one of us who ever really managed to comfort them. Sam and I can only try. at school people give us weird looks and I know they are thinking about her. A few months ago the school held a memorial service for her. This is their way of giving up hope. Sam was put in charge of her funeral even though we both wish we knew for certain. The memory of that day still haunts me.

(flashback)

Kristen was downstairs with the Sarah, Eric, and Mimi, Sam was out with friends and I was alone in the room I share with Eric. That was when we found Rover. We had always struggled with having enough money to feed him but we always found enough. Sam, Kristen, and I knew that his days would be up soon but we just didn't tell the little kids. That was when we heard Sarah scream. Sarah the youngest, had gone outside to grab her doll. When we heard her scream we all rushed outside only to find Rover's body lying on the ground. Kristen instructed Mimi to take Sarah and Eric inside while we dealt with Rover. That was when Kristen started to cry. That startled me because she hardly ever cries.She fell to the ground and sobbed "I just can't take it anymore Conor, I just can't take it." I picked her up and then I carried Rover to our tiny backyard and dug him a grave. Kristen came back and saw what I had dug. She looked up at me sadly the walked inside to grab the kids. Just as we were preparing the flowers Sam got home and found us in the backyard. She looked up at us tears streaming down her face and nodded for us to begin. We slowly lowered him down and everyone said a few words, even Sarah. Then we all grabbed a shovel and buried him. I looked up at Kristen and she looked different. Kristen always kept a positive attitude but today something in her snapped and I knew she wouldn't be the same. Hours later our parents got home. Kristen tried to talk to them about Rover but the just shoved her upstairs to room. I fell asleep to the sound of her crying. Then the next morning she was gone. No note, no letter. She was just gone.