The Ones Who Saved Me

2.

I opened the box to find.... Nothing! It was just an empty cardboard box!

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Nah I'm joking!!!! Okay, on with the story!

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I opened the ornate box to find.... Memories. Lots and lots of memories.

There were stacks of photos, drawings and letters, all of which brought back the memories I'd forced to the back of my mind. I picked up the first thing on the pile, a picture of my sister and me before the tragic events that led to us living in the orphanage. We looked so happy! Hailee, my sister, had always been taller than me but I refused to look smaller than her in photographs, so I used to stand on a stool to reach her height! This photo showed me half on the stool, half off. My face was blurred but you could still tell I was laughing. My sister was bent at the waist, her hands on her legs, crying with laughter. I wish I was that happy now.

The second picture was of my dad and me holding a trophy. We'd won it at my school sports day purely because there was only three people in the race! I didn't care though; it was the first award I had ever won at a sporting event so I was extremely happy! In the picture, my dad is holding the trophy while I'm pointing at it with a huge grin on my face. Again, I wish I could be happy like that now!

The next thing on the pile was a drawing I had done for my sister. It was when I was 5 and she was 7. She had some friends over after school but she'd promised to play with me! I pestered her and pestered her, in the hope that she would play with me. All she did was lock me out of her room! I was so angry at her that I squirted a whole tube of toothpaste on her dress for the end of year disco! At the time I didn't quite realise what I was doing, but afterwards I was so ashamed of what I had done, I tried to scrape of the toothpaste. This resulted in the toothpaste being smeared around the dress and making it look even worse! My sister was fuming when she saw the dress and I tried to blame it on the dog; the only problem being, we didn't actually have a dog! That drawing was an apology to my sister for ruining her dress. I don't think it worked; she didn't speak to me for a week after it happened!

Slowly I picked up each drawing, picture or letter, remembering everything that happened both before and after the incident. Every memory was like a knife in the stomach, making me sob and whimper. Even the funny memories made me cry; just to think that there was something happy before all of this happened!

As I neared the bottom of the pile, I found what I had been hoping not to find. It was the newspaper article of my parent's death. It read:

MOTHER AND FATHER OF TWO KILLED IN ACCIDENT
Late last night, Shailene and Luke Snow were driving home from a Christmas Party. The roads were covered with a thick layer of ice and it was completely dark. Neither one of them was drunk and they were driving safely. However, when they were driving along the A68 crossroads, a large truck with no headlights on sped past, crashing directly into the Snow's car and killing them instantly. The trucker's identity is unknown so far but he is being questioned about the incident. This tragic event leaves the Snow's two children, Hailee and Delilah, parentless and with no relatives to care for them, they will be sent to an orphanage. This is a very sad accident, but unfortunately it has occurred over 3 times this month! So we warn you, when you are driving in the dark, always have your headlights on! If you do, many accidents can be prevented!

I finished the article and tears were rolling down my cheeks like a waterfall. Sobs wracked through my body as I struggled to breathe. I tried not to think about this moment. My whole life in the orphanage, I'd managed not to think about it. I guess it was finally time I remembered and accepted what had happened. At least Mum and Dad hadn't died slowly; their death was fast and instant.

I placed the article on the pile of things I'd looked at and sat silently for a while. I leant against my sister's old bed and drew my knees to under my chin. I tried to calm down and control the tears, failing miserably. I took a shaky breath and looked, once again, in the box. There was only one thing left.

I picked up the last thing: an envelope. Slowly and carefully, I opened it up and I pulled out a CD and a letter. Placing the letter to one side, I looked at the CD. It was My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade album. I opened the case and inside was a note. It read:

Dearest Delilah,
This was my copy of The Black Parade. It kept me going through highs and lows and I want you to have it now.

Forever and always, Hailee

I closed the CD case, a single tear emerging from my eye. Then I picked up the letter:

Dearest Delilah,
Do you remember when you ruined my dress because I wouldn't play with you? Well, I wanted to be mad at you but I couldn't; you're just so amazing and kind. Delilah I love you. I have no reason good enough to prove why I did what I did but I'm sorry. I couldn't take it anymore and there was no other way I could survive it. But you, Delilah, you are beautiful and kind and intelligent. People like you, more than they ever liked me. Everyone always though you were such a cute baby, whereas I was always called fat and ugly. I needed glasses; you didn't. I had braces; your teeth were always perfect. I had to take extra classes because I failed Maths and Science; you were always top of the class and you never, ever failed an exam. So you see, Delilah, you were the perfect child and I was jealous of you! I was bullied for what I looked like but you were complimented constantly on your looks. I'm sorry Delilah! I truly love you but people teased me for just being related to you! I never wanted to hate you but sometimes I did. I've never told anyone this but I thought it was important for you to know that all my suffering was caused by you. Not intentionally and I know it wasn't your fault but I had to blame it on someone, and when I was younger, that someone was you. So, Del, I love you to the moon and back again and more. I'm sorry I had to go but trust me, you're going to lead a prosperous life! You're going to get a great job, meet amazing people and have fun! So keep running! And always remember, the future is bulletproof, the aftermath is secondary! It's time to do it now and do it loud, killjoys, make some noise!

Always and forever, Hailee xxx