Aurora

"If you need anything, know that i'm just a phone call away love. Don't hesitate, just tell me to come to you and i promise I'll drop everything and come running to you"

Was her last words as she placed a kiss on my forehead, threw a last glance at dad; then walked out the front door,

"Never thought does would be your last words to me ever" i thought to myself as i watched them lower her coffin into the ground.

"Sweety" Dad said softly just as a sob escaped my lips,

"Mom... Please come back" i silently called, hoping she'd keep her word, jump out of the coffin and wrap me in her arms.

No such thing happened.

"She was a good woman" someone says from a distance,

"I can understand her family's loss" and that was my breaking point,

I screamed.

All eyes fell on me,

"Sweety what's wrong?" Dad's worried voice asked, and again

I screamed.

Shouting as i ran towards the men pouring dirt over my mothers coffin; throwing my fists at them,

There was burning unbearable sensation in my chest, my throat closed up, i was suffocating but my tears seem to have just began,

"Aurora no" someone yelled holding me back, i responded by thrashing around in their grip, shouting, screaming yet no words came out.

No words ever do.

I keep thrashing around, throwing my fists at anyone and no one as more people try to hold me down,

"Sweety calm down... Please" my dad's voice pleaded making me cry more.

I want mom

I chanted in my head, shouting nothing yet everything at the same time.

I want to go to her

Is what i want to scream to all of them but no words are formed and i instead convey my message by helplessly trying to pull myself from their grip towards my mom's coffin,

"Get the nurse" in the distance of my shouts i heard dad say with a defeated sigh,

"Nhnnn! Nnnnhn!" I was struggling, crying, pushing, shouting, still no one seemed to understand my silent messages

Don't put her there, she'll wake up i know she will,

But she didn't, her coffin still sat there, closed never to open.

Not long do i feel a sting on my arm, making me whimper.

My arms suddenly felt to heavy to move anymore, my eyelids strangely gained so much weight i could hardly keep them open, everything began to blur, my body at the verge of collapsing if it weren't for the hands holding me up,

"Shhh... It'll be alright" a voice said sounding to far away for me to make out who it belonged too.

Everything started to move in slow motion, i was lifted off the ground, the whole place turning.

And with a final glance at my dear mother's new resting place i succumbed to my body's desire and let darkness swallow me.

**********

"I really think you should consider my suggestion Dante" a familiar voice said though it reached my ears as low whispers,

My eyes were still closed, eyelids to heavy to lift and i too weak to try and open them. Or maybe i just don't want to open them,

"It's not a bad idea Guiliana, but i just... I really want to be there for her, i want her to know that i'm here for her, you saw the way she reacted earlier, her health keeps deteriorating and i..." My dads voice trails off, giving room for my aunt to intercede,

"That's exactly my point, Dante she needs a change of environment" she said,

I should open my eyes, sit up and make them aware of my consciousness, but i can't find the strength to do so,

Or the willingness.

There's just something about unconsciousness that's making me plead with my body to just doze off again, something about pretending to be unaware of the things happening around you and the people around you staying clear in trying not to wake you or draw you out of whichever realm we usually go too when we are asleep. It's just feels... Peaceful.

Is this how mom feels?

Again the horrible ache is back, again my throat feels like it's about to burst, again i feel so... I don't know what i feel. Is it anger? Or is it sadness? Can't tell which one cause to me they both feel the same. Or maybe it's anxiety of what my life will be like without mom in it anymore.

"One day your gonna be the one holding up your wedding dress to your daughter, imagining her in it" mom said all smiles as she carefully puts the dress away,

I tug at the edge of her dress drawing her attention,

I point towards where the dress is now locked away in the cupboard,

'Why did you lock it away?'

I signed to her with my hands, she smiled running a hand over the cupboard,

"Some things are best kept safe by locking them away, you can call it saving it for later" she replied smoothing down my hair,

'Like for a special occasion?'

I signed,

She shook her head,

"I'm keeping it as a lasting mark to remind of the day i said i do to your father, and so that it can be a lasting mark for you, that is of you decide to wear it for your wedding someday" she paused, then dropped to her knees so she was eye level with me,

"Baby, don't ever save anything for a special occasion" she said causing me to frown at her words,

'Why?' I gestured with my hands

"Isn't being alive already a special occasion" she replied with a smile,

I had know idea what she meant but the soft smile she directed at me made me not to doubt it. So i returned it with a smile of my own.

A sob escaped my lips before i could stop it, drawing my dad and aunts attention to me,

Before i knew it, multiple sobs raked my body, leading to strong flow of river through my eyes,

"Sweety..." My dad slowly made his way towards me with cautious steps, his eyes red and swollen with a softness that was only ever there when he looked at mom and i,

Mom.

My sobs became more audible and less controlled as i turned my head the other way, burying it in my pillow.

I felt the bed dip and a hand soothingly ran up and down my back.

"Fine. Your right, she needs a change of environment" i heard dad say with a deep sigh,

"It's the right decision" my aunts voice replied,

"Sweety..." My dad called softly, to which i answered with another sob,

"It hurts, i know. That's why your aunt believes may be a change of atmosphere will help. So for a short while, i think you should go with her to... Sirmione, again it's just for a while, until things... Settle here" he says,

To it i become unresponsive, even the sobs silenced themselves and all that was left was the aching in my chest. Taking my silence as a yes i assume, i hear him let out another sigh,

"I'll ask Bella to help pack her things" Dad said to aunt before i felt another hand on me, this time on my head, smoothening my hair,

"Don't worry Aurora, I'll make sure you feel just as home in Sirmione as you do here" aunts soft voice said.

Go to Sirmione.

I wanted to laugh and ask them what makes them think sending me to some foreign town would make me feel any better about losing my mother. But i didn't, i couldn't. Maybe its my sorrow that's making me bitter, I've never questioned dad's decision before, so why should i now?

Dad wants me to go to Sirmione, then fine. With a final sob i make up my mind,

Then it's Sirmione i shall go.

**********

First chapter of Into The Woods, Yay

I won't yet ask of what you think of Aurora since it's too soon to have a judgement yet.

Anyway, thank you again for giving the book a chance. If you liked it so far give me a shout out by voting and share your thoughts by commenting.

Hope you liked it enough to stay long enough to read the next chapter.

Have a wonderful day ahead.

Zainab