it had been forty five minutes she’d locked herself within the bathroom. tissue ferociously dotting against wetted cheek as the young female remains hidden from the crowds. refusing to show her weakness, emily vividly remembers the last encounter with the deceased. gun quivering before her face, questions flying back and forth followed by false accusations. she watched him take off out the door; heroic and courageous, something she wouldn’t expect anything less of. it had been a week since her life ended, since the broken shatters into several pieces. emily reminds herself of the last moments, she reminds herself that she could have been the one in the casket and she begins to wonder why she’s even there. lifting her gaze, emily looks within the mirror as puffy bloodshot gaze peers back. a stray tear is quickly dotted up by tissue, silver glinting back as chain jingles to capture her attention.
a bracelet matt gave to her; she loses it once more.
his face haunts her dreams and even within vivid nightmares, he’s always there in the shadows. emily hears the growling, ripping of jagged teeth and she can only lead up assumption to what happened to her boyfriend. woulda ( coulda ) shouldas seem to creep up within the wandering dwellings of a darkened mind. what if she could have saved him, what if she went back into the mine. there were a lot of what ifs surrounding the situation and the young survivor begins to regret her decision of coming to mike’s funeral. maybe, she could sneak out without anyone noticing her being there. it was an hour before ceremony, who else would be there now.
fingertips press to the door and she takes a breath; open.
the halls were quiet, not a soul in sight between her and the door at the end of the passage. heels lightly click against tile, light sniffles stifled within a lingering tissue as she passes each closed door room, quickly. one remains open, she begs herself not to look into in out of fear. going against her common sense, mocha hues peer into the room as she passes to see a young woman. recognizable, long blonde hair and petite within her stance; though she looks damaged. she stops, heart heavy and sinking because emily is aware of exactly who it was. the ashes of a friendship blown away by the guilt of a simple prank that got them all into this. she pleads with herself not to interrupt, she could still make an easy getaway; vanish.
❛ Didn’t think anyone else would be here this early. ❜