In The End

Prologue

I woke up, dying of thirst.  I walked down the stairs expecting it to be dark.  Instead, I saw the lights are on.  As I walked down the stairs, I heard a faint cry.  "It's okay, Ann.  Shhh."  I heard my father speak.

I stopped and sat on the stairs, looking through the rails at my parents in the living room.  My father was comforting my mother.  "How is it okay, Ron?"  My mother cried.  "That poor family.  And oh, God.  That poor girl.  Do you think Lizzy will pull through?"

My eyes widened as I heard her name.  My best friend’s name.  We were friends longer then I could remember.  Her family and mine were close so we always spent a lot of time together.  As it was Christmas, their family always went on vacation together.  That is where they were suppose to be right now. 

"Doctors said she would.  It was a miracle she survived the crash."  Crash!  What crash?

My mother cried harder.  "Poor girl is going to wake up to no family.  You know that they didn't have family.  She'll go into the system.  What kind of life is that?  And poor Seth, he will never see her again.  You know those two are so close.  This is too much, Ron."

"That is not true.  We are her family."  My father told her.  "And as her family, we have to do right by her.  Don't you agree?"

"Do you mean..." 

"Yes."  My father interrupted her.

"Okay, as her only family, we have to care for her."  My mother told him.

"I agree."  He hugged her tightly.

I got up and went back to my room.  I may have been only 10 but I got the idea what was going on.  I moved to the bed and laid down on it as I began to cry.  My best friend’s parents were dead.  It was a crash.  Lizzy was alive but alone.  What did they mean I may never see her again?  I couldn’t live without my best friend.  And what did they mean they would care for her?  My ten year old mind couldn't process what was going on.  This was too much.  Would I never see my friend again?

The following day, my parents sat both my sister and me down and explained to us what happened.  Indeed, Lizzy and her parents got into a car wreak and her parents died instantly but Lizzy somehow survived.  The told us nothing else.  My sister cried.  I was quiet.  I wanted to ask so many questions but then my parents would have known that I was listening to their conversation.  So I said nothing.  My father looked at me, concerned.  "Are you okay, Seth?"

I just looked down and nodded.  "Can I just go to my room?"

"Uh, yeah."  I heard the concern in his voice.

Without a word, I got up and went upstairs.  I laid down in my bed and I couldn’t help but to think I would never see Lizzy again.  I teared up.  I wish my parents would have told me more.  But soon my parents would answer those questions.

A few weeks later, my parents left Rachael and I alone with a sitter.  They explained they would be back in a few hours and the weeks leading up to that, they were acting strange.  One thing I noticed, they put bunk beds in Rachael's room.  I asked why but they made some excuse that Rachael always had friends staying the night.  I had a feeling they were lying.  But when they came back, they weren't alone.  Lizzy was with them.  I saw her and my eyes lite up.  I ran over to her as I screamed, "Lizzy!"

I hugged her, tightly.  I was so scared that I would never see her again.  But after some time, I realized Lizzy wasn't hugging me back.  I let go of her as I moved away.  When I looked at her, she had her head down and looked sad.  She wasn't the same girl I knew.  "What's wrong, Lizzy?"

My mom quickly intervened.  "How about we show you your new room?"

Lizzy still hung her head as she nodded.  My mom placed a gentle hand on her back and guided her up the stairs as I watched.  "Lizzy!"  I called out.