Author to Builder

Depression Through Love

John had seen her die, twice and couldn't handle it. He went to her funeral, said goodbye too his friends went to live on his own. He already knew he had a bad habit with alcohol but picked up the bottle anyway and drank from it.

John was lying on his sofa when a package arrived. He recognised the handwriting on the front of the package and opened the package quickly and read the message. It was from Marla:
Dear everyone,
I found this the other day and thought I should scan it for all you guys. Hope you like it!
Loads of love, Marla XOXO
John looked at the picture and saw himself, Charlie, Marla, Carlton, Jessica and Lamar, all smiling into the camera as young children. John had is arm around his Charlie. He smiled as tears rolled  out of his eyes and dropped onto the glossy paper. John picked up his bottle and drank himself into a troubled sleep, in which he was reminded that he hadn't saved Charlie.

*2 Years later*

John's friends hadn't heard from him in a long time. He had never been one to write to people but he hadn't even called since her funeral. So they set out to find their friend. They did find him but they were minutes
too late. They walked through the alcohol littered apartment and saw him, curled up on the sofa, seemingly asleep. Jessica walked over to him and whispered his name as she gently shook him. He didn't move. She shook him harder and realised something wasn't right. She called all of her friends over. Marla was a doctor and gently picked his hand up to feel for a pulse, she moved her thumb around frantically trying to find one. She whispered, "Oh John." As she looked at Jessica and shook her head. Jessica put her hand to her mouth and gasped, the boys looked at each other with an expression of both horror and sadness as Marla said, "He's gone."
Carlton looked at the floor and bit his lip, Lamar looked at Marla then looked at John and the two girls were hugging and sobbing as Jessica held his cold, limp hand. However, they all knew he was happier now, with his beloved Charlie. But for them this felt like the end of the world. Jessica was the one who called his parents whilst Carlton called Clay.
"Hello?" Clayton Burke said down the phone.
"Hey dad," Carlton said, trying to suppress a sob, "John died." He heard his father almost drop the phone.
"What?" He said, silently hoping this was another prank of Carlton's.
"He died earlier today, his liver failed, drank too much, his flat was full of alcohol bottles," Carlton cried, "he died in pain, all alone."
"It's fine Carl, come to mine ok?" Clay said, putting the phone down. He had known John as a little boy, but knowing how it would end for him, at only 25, hurt him. However, like the others, he knew John was happier now, over the rainbow, where him and Charlie could be together, without anyone getting in their way.