The Vale Of Tears

Chapter 4: Sorrow

"She was a genius of sadness, immersing herself in it, separating its numerous shards, appreciating its subtle nuances. She was a prism through which sadness could be divided into its infinite spectrum."

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Skye unlocked the front door and entered the house. The only thing that welcomed her was the silence. It had always been the same for the past five years. For Skye, time had stopped five years ago. She felt like she was living in a loop, going over and over the same things every day. Her family had moved to this unfamiliar town in a desperate attempt to bring some change into their lives. The past week had been hectic with the moving and her parents preparing for their new jobs while she prepared for a new school. However, as the week had passed, they had all gradually fallen into their old routine.

There were unpacked boxes strewn around the living room. She walked around the house, desperate for something to busy herself with to keep away the deafening silence. She grabbed one of the boxes and started unpacking it. She took out two vases and put them on the living room table. Then she grabbed some books and arranged them in the shelf. The next thing she took out was a picture frame. It was a picture of her family before it got broken. Her father had an arm around her mother and Skye's face was red from trying to hold in her laughter at something Jasper had said. Jasper himself was looking at her with a boyish smile on his face. His eyes were glinting with mirth.

Skye's eyes filled with tears as her finger traced over her brother's face, missing him and feeling a painful yearning to hear his voice. It had been five years but the feelings were still the same. She remembered how annoying he used to be when they were kids and sometimes even wishing that he didn't exist. He would seize any opportunity to disturb her but when she was feeling down, he would do anything he could to cheer her up. Even after all this time she still couldn't bear the thought that she would never see his face or hear his contagious laughter again. Jasper wouldn't laugh a lot; he preferred to be the one to make others laugh. But when he did laugh, he would light up the whole room.

They had grown closer as they grew and Jasper had become her best friend. They would always share everything with each other. Jasper had always been there for her without fail and he was the first person she'd gone to when she wanted someone to share with. He gave the best advice and never failed to make her see the silver lining no matter how bad the situation was.

She couldn't imagine anything worse that could happen to her after losing her brother. Her mind wandered back to that day.

****

"Yessss! I win! I can't believe I finally win against you," Raine jumped up and down, shouting at the top of her voice.

"Enjoy victory while it lasts, we both know you only won because I let you. Do you really think you could've won if I was playing serious?" eleven-year-old Skye asked, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"Don't be a sore loser and accept defeat," her friend Raine said, blowing a raspberry at Skye.

"Kids, weren't you supposed to be doing your homework? Raine, how many times do I have to tell you to finish your homework before playing?" Raine's mother had entered the room.

"Sorry Mrs. Grayson, we're gonna start with our homework now," Skye said regretfully.

"It's not your fault, honey. Raine here should know better. No more playing, okay? I'm bringing some snacks up. Get started." She closed the door and left.

Raine and Skye hadn't even gotten halfway through their homework when Raine's mother came into the room again. This time she wasn't alone.