I awaken with swollen eyes of black and white with ache in my back and legs as I stand from the uneven road
Trees, graves, and moss surround me with a fence around the perimeter as if to keep the dead in
The last thing I remember was rushing back for my best friend, William, in the war that seemed to never end
I scream frustrated with myself because I can’t remember anymore
The graves that catch my attention are the graves with chipped paint and pieces missing
But there are some with crosses; there are even some with columns around it
Emptiness suddenly consumes me
I look up to the sky for an answer to questions swirling through my mind but am answered with that feeling again
It seemed like I couldn’t escape the nothingness, like I was its prisoner
When I see a flash of lighting illuminating the scenery, I hear a squeak then a sob then silence. I call out, “Who’s there? Can I help you?”
More like, “Can you help me?” I thought
I see the figure again its whole body quivering
I walk up to the figure and ask if she’s okay
She turned around only for me to see the name on the freshly imprinted gravestone, Benjamin Jackson, my name
The figure with tears rushing down her face is my sister, Bella
She wore a black dress with ruffles going all the way down to her feet. They started right under her tiny waist with a bow in the middle and got larger as they got closer to her feet. She had pieces of cloth crossing around her neck.
She chokes on a sob as she calls out, “Who’s there?”
Whispering in her ear I say, “It’s me, Ben your older brother.”
She turns around with a sigh saying, “I’ll come back tomorrow, bye Ben. I-I-I love you.” and walked right through me.
The nothingness feeling capturing me again.
I watch her walk away, not trying to stop her.
I realized where I am
I was in the graveyard next to dad, in his plot under the harsh coldblooded world.
A lost lonely soul was what I was in a retched hell hole.