Life and death.

Author's Note: I became a little confused with this piece and I would like to have it graded and see what I need to do to make it better and then make those corrections! 

                Death, possibly falling in to a deep sleep; drifting to heaven as memories, good and bad, rush through your head. Or possibly it could be being brutally raped, dismembered, and then buried and never found again. Watching every agonizing second of your family falling apart, just as Susie Salmon had done in the book The Lovely Bones.

                Although I have not read the ending of this book I have pretty good prediction of what will happens next and this is my version…

P.S. Susie Narrates the story from heaven and Susie’s Mother is on her way to Vegas.  

…

I watch my family as if flipping through pages of the life I will fail to ever see in my physical body. My little brother playing with the neighbor boy in the backyard. Lindsey in her room with Sam venting about the affair my mother is committing. Father, fast asleep in the old worn leather chair in his office. But my per say “world” comes to a halt when my mother has found herself on the side of the road quietly weeping as she crushes my old charm bracelet in the palms of her hand. The one Mr.Harvey dumped on the side of the road states away from the deep hole I was murdered in. Evidence. My mother  frantically dials my father’s number.

“Hello?” His deep voice bellows through the phone. I yearn to hear that voice again. 

“I’m coming home,” my mother gives no time for my father to respond and ends the call. It’s a slow painful ride home.

Mother opens the front door and gazes into the eyes of Detective Len Fenerman. She instantaneously snaps her head in to a different direction. Out of embarrassment? Or out of selfish moments she’d failed to erase with that man? This, I will never know. She looks ahead to only find my sister staring straight through her almost as if she is nothing to her anymore. Then she resorts to putting her head down and explains the situation holding out the bracelet nearly like a peace offering. Rarely looking up to see the face she had so easily fell for. The tension  the room elevates. Everyone shocked and focused on the small metal bracelet in the center of the table. Len stands puts the bracelet in a small baggy and retreats to the door.

“I will do the best I can to find your daughter’s killer. I’m sorry we hadn’t gotten him earlier,” Mr.Fenerman courteously tips his head to my mother then father and slowly closes the door. My mother watches him leave out of the front window as if she will never see him again. As if those were her last words to her secret lover.

Abruptly a vase smashes against the wall. Everyone spins to see my father squatting, hands covering his face in aggravation. He sits for several seconds before recoiling to his office to find himself thinking of me. Of my face and warmth. My smile and voice. I’m upset although flattered. Someone could love me with such passion, but a love that brings much sorrow. I wish so much to comfort him but all I can do is watch. As I walk to my balcony I wish for Mr.Harvey to die. It would leave my family with relief and wash away some of the pain. But I know only a physical person could kill Mr.Harvey. So I wish for my father to reap revenge.

Several days go by as my family’s energy level drops and they find themselves in grief coma unable to awake, almost as bad as the day I was perceived dead. Although, I can sense a higher energy and I know something is terribly wrong. I start to flip through the pages once more. Lindsey is taking a jog around the neighborhood, safe. My brother in his afternoon nap, safe. Mother is knitting, safe. Father working in his office, safe. An ache goes through my body. I go back to my sister, there.  Deep in the tree my sister had once rested was Mr.Harvey.

He stalks her from a distance. I remember everything from that day as if it were yesterday. My terrifying shrieks and his stale breath. He speaks. 

“Lindsey, right? Susie’s sister?” Lidnsey looks for the source of her name. I want to scream for her to run.

“Yes?” Lindsey turns to him and a shiver runs up the spin of her back.

“Oh, hi there! It’s Mr.Harvey! I’m back to the neighborhood just wanted to see how everybody was doing. You holding up fine?” He speaks to her with such kindness. A kindness I find repulsive. I know now that he just couldn’t resist my sister. He desired her blood.

“Yeah I’m good, thanks. I better be getting back now. Nice to see you!” I realize she might just get away. She knows he’s my murderer.

“But Lindsey, don’t you want to catch up? I’ve got some refreshments in my car, you must be thirsty?” He takes a few steps closer.

“No, I’m good but thank you” She stumbles back.

“Come on Lindsey, I was your neighbor?” His voice starts to sound quiet irritated.

“I’m sorry I have somewhere to be” she tries to find any reason to leave.

“Lindsey please. Come with me” His voice become stern and cold. He leaps forward in to a full sprint after my sister. She screams and my father awakes. Lindsey’s fast as her long lanky legs gracefully run along the pavement. Mr.Harvey pants as he tries to keep a steady pace. Sweat leaks down each of their faces. The murderer becomes steps away.  A race for life or death.

“BANG!” One shot.

“BANG!” Two. The shots still ring in my ears as my father because still with his finger clenched around the pistol in his hands. My sister turns back to see Mr.Harvey lying on the pavement blood and all the lives he has stolen gushing out of his chest. The life fade’s out of his eyes and It appears that death was chosen for Mr.Harvey. I grin as my sister falls to the ground in my father’s arms. He drops the gun and weeps tears of happiness.

~

As you can see I chose a “Happy Ending” because I assumed a book of despair should lead to some happiness. Just like in the book My sister's Keeper it had a twist at the end but I feel it was the only way the book should have ended. Therefore making it my version of a "Happy Ending". Obviously, I may not have gotten every detail correct in my alternate ending but the main idea of Mr.Harvey dying was accurate. Instead of being shot by  Susie’s father though, an icicle had fallen on him killing him instantly and then leaving him to be covered and frozen by the white snow falling during that cold season.

The reason I picked this ending was because Susie’s father had vocalized several times how he was going to kill his daughter’s murderer. He hated Mr.Harvey with a passion and couldn’t wait to steal his life like he had done to Susie. Also I tried to add in specific details from the book like Susie’s  charm bracelet, her mother’s cold personality, Mr.Harvey’s stale breathe, and Mr.Salmon’s old chair. All of this to make this alternate ending relate to the book.