Paint Me Red

23. The Cemetery

Ellaria's POV:

I pushed open the doors of the balcony and let the strong wind hit my face. The big yellow star was hidden behind a thick curtain of grey clouds. It seemed as if even the sky was mourning the loss of someone so beautiful and kind.

For the first time in my life, I had difficulty in putting Ebenezer to sleep. He wasn't letting go of me. He was utterly scared if something like that happened to him once again.

I promised him that I would protect him and I broke it. Today, I promised him again that I would protect him and he believed me, again.

I looked down at my disheveled state; cramped and dirty clothes yet I didn't have any urge to get out of them. Instead, I stood there feeling numb. My mind and my heart had processed the fact that she was no longer here.

That my sister was dead.

That I couldn't do anything to protect her.

I couldn't prevent her dead.

She was innocent.

She didn't deserve it.

She deserved to live a happy life and go to college and fulfill her dreams and attend prom with Ethan.

Ethan.

The name put stop to all of my racing thoughts.

What would I tell him? That the girl he dropped home last night was dead? All in a matter of few hours.

I looked at the sky and scoffed. Why doesn't happen to me? Why does everything happen with me?

My eyes darted to the ground to see five security guards guarding the front of my house. Everything came collapsing down at once. Robotically, I walked back inside my room and went to take a shower.

The funeral was to start in an hour.

I scrubbed my body until it was red and my skin was burning thinking that maybe if I scrub hard enough, the feeling of helplessness would go away.

It didn't.

I slipped in a black knee length plain dress and tied my hair in a high ponytail.

It had been four hours since Ebenezer was put to bed so I made my way to his room to wake him up.

He was sleeping peacefully, lying on his stomach, cuddled in the comforter. I sat down next to him and ran my hand through his hair. He was a light sleeper, so after a minute or so, his eyes begun to flutter open.

I gave him a weak smile, "Come on, baby, get up. It's time to see Marianne off." I spoke softly.

He pouted and tears blurred his vision, "She wouldn't be here anymore?" he asked.

I shook my head and he started crying, "But then who will I play with? I will miss her." He hiccupped.

I looked at him solemnly and opened my mouth to speak, "She was called up to the heavens baby because she was an angel. You will see her in the sky tonight, the brightest star."

His eyes twinkled with happiness and he held my hand in his tiny ones, "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Really." I smiled with a heavy heart.

I made him shower and changed him into a black button down shirt and black pants and with his tiny hand holding my forefinger, we both made our way outside of his room.

Braylon stepped out from his room, freshly showered and dressed in an all black suit without a tie. He opened his arms and embraced me before kissing my forehead and picking up Braylon in his arms.