RUN ✔️

Chapter Twenty Six.

November 10th, Saturday.
Chapter Twenty Six.
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'...What hurts the most is that I only got to say goodbye to one of you...'

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The window was cold against the side of my head. I watched as the rain drops slowly trailed down the glass, racing one another until they disappeared out of sight. Only for more to start another race. The car hummed, driving and diving over every bump in the road as everyone inside the car sat listening to nothing but their own thoughts. No one dared to speak, no one dared to break the heavy silence that had surrounded us for the last day...

Or had it been two?

I wasn't sure. My perception of time had been warped the second I realized Nevaeh was no longer with us.

Because ever since then, everything had been a blur. Everything had felt like this weird hazy dream that I just couldn't shake.

How could it have not though?

We had to bury our youngest, most innocent, and most precious member of our group.

We buried her.

Her body was now buried beneath the dirt in a random cemetery more than halfway across the country from the home she had once known. She wasn't buried with her dad, not that we'd have had much of him left to bury after burning their house down. Nor was she to be buried beside her sister, her big sister who missed her more than she'd ever know.

We'd had many options, but ultimately decided on the least cruel one, of burying her body in a cemetery not far from the motel we'd been staying in. Her gravestone was nothing more than two wooden planks threaded together into a cross, her name having been carved into it (thanks to Calvin for that) along with her birthdate and day of her unfortunate death. Using string we'd found we also tied Marley, my old barbie doll, to the wood. Leaving the small doll to remain with her, to help watch over her. The thought of keeping the doll was too much to bear, but the thought of leaving it somewhere random or throwing it hurt a bit too.

That was the best send-off we could give her. Laying her to rest, saying a few words, shedding some more tears and then sitting there in silence thinking everything over and over.

The rain hadn't stopped since that night. My eyes hadn't been dry since that night. I hadn't slept since that night. Marie hadn't spoken a single word since that night. Brad hadn't left my side, emotionally and physically, since that night. Jack hadn't stopped taken his eyes off Marie, keeping close like he was a bodyguard, since that night. Calvin hadn't stopped scribbling something down on a note pad since that night. Reed hadn't cracked a joke since that night. Landon hadn't slept or stopped being on watch since that night. Savannah hadn't dressed in anything other than black since that night. Athena hadn't caressed or even touched her stomach in the presence of us since that night. Caleb hadn't been sobered up since that night. My father hadn't dared to speak her name, only referred to Nevaeh as 'her' like that was lessening the pain of her missing presence, since that night. Any my mother... She hadn't looked me in the eyes since that night.