Chapter 1
Looking up at the ceiling of her bedroom, Amanda imagined how different her life would be if her mother didn’t always take the Cowards way out.
Though this time, her mother went too far, and she chose to take her own life.
And now Amanda cannot help but wonder if she could have done more to help her mother, and why her father never spoke honestly about her mother’s mental condition instead of trying to candy coat everything when it came to her.
She understands that he did it to protect her and keep her from hurting herself unnecessarily, but all she wants is for him to understand that she is growing up, whether he likes it or not!
Amanda went downstairs to wait for her father and checked her phone for the time.
In her black dress, which she had worn at her grandfather’s funeral the year before, she felt terribly uneasy.
Not only because she despised wearing dresses, but also because of the memories they evoked.
“You look lovely, sweetheart.” Her father said, taking a seat next to her at the breakfast table with his newspaper in his left hand.
“Thanks, Dad,” Amanda replied quietly as she completed her breakfast.
Amanda and her father could not seem to find the right words to say to each other.
“As a result,” of the fact that they were both overwhelmed by their own grief now.
Her father didn’t say anything until he finished the last sip of his coffee, and then all he said was, “I’ll be in the car.” as He snatched his coat off the rack and his key from the hook beside the door. Then he was gone.
Getting ready to leave, Amanda fixed her hair in the downstairs bathroom, then made her way out through the front door.
When she got to the car, her dad was so engrossed in his newspaper that he barely even noticed when Amanda got into his car.
Until Amanda cleared her throat, making her presence known, he put his newspaper away and started the engine. Thankfully, the car ride to the church did not take too long, so before she knew it, they had arrived at their destination. Waiting at the front door of the church for their arrival were her mother’s parents and her father’s mother. They opted out of driving to the funeral in the hearse .so they had the undertakers handle everything on their behalf.so they did not have
Thankfully, the car ride to the church did not take too long, so before she knew it, they had arrived at their destination. Waiting at the front door of the church for their arrival were her mother’s parents and her father’s mother. They opted out of driving to the funeral in the hearse .so they had the undertakers do everything for them.
As they entered the church for the first time in years.
Amanda fought back tears as they streamed down her cheeks. And by the time they finally reached their seats, she had a nasty headache from all the crying.
After the service, they all walked to the town graveyard. Which was not too far away from the church.
While in a large black hearse, her mother’s body was taken to the graveyard.
Amanda watched as they lowered her mother’s body into the grave, tears streaming down her face.
Looking around her, she made a mental note of who among her mother’s so-called friends had bothered to show their faces, and to her surprise, they were all present.
Even though they had all let her mother down every time she needed them, she still blindly put her trust in them.
Even though they had all let her mother down every time she needed them, she still blindly put her trust in them. But instead of relying on her family, the ones who were always there for her, she still chose to rely on strangers.
Feeling as if the world were spinning around her, she knew that she needed to get away, so she ran as fast as she could out of the cemetery and past the church, stopping only when she reached the abandoned park that her mother had shown her when she was six, and where her mother had played when she was younger. Finding the bench that looked familiar. She sat down and sobbing uncontrollably, thinking about what her mother would say if she saw her like this, her dress crumpled and her hair all tangled. She felt awful for leaving her father to deal with things on his own, but she could not stay any longer at the graveyard.
Sitting there on the bench under the shade of a massive oak tree, she felt safe and secure and that everything was going to be all right for the first time since she found out about her mother’s death.
She dried her eyes with a tissue and walked around the old park, which appeared to have seen better days.
In some ways, the park reminded her of her mother, who had been abandoned and forgotten.
By all those who never realized their mother’s true worth until it was too late, taking advantage of her kind nature and eagerness to forgive too easily.
As the sun set, the park fell silent, and not a single bird could be heard. Amanda did not mind, as she liked the kind of atmosphere it created.
She had always been known as the odd kid who preferred to be alone. And who did nobody want to be friends with on the playground?
Her mother and, I am guessing, her father were the only people she let inside her little world. So, it will take some time to adjust to the fact that her father is the only person she has left in the world other than her grandparents of course.
Amanda, becoming increasingly agitated by the minute, took out her phone, only to discover that it was completely dead. Beginning to get a bit anxious. Amanda left the park, heading back into town. She noticed that not a person could be seen. It was like walking through a ghost town. Not a light was on, not in the people’s houses and certainly not in the streets. In the small town of North-shore not even a business remained open after seven on a Sunday.
Just when she thought that things could not get any worse, the rain came down hard and the Thunder boomed! “I’m so glad I put a raincoat on over this stupid dress,” she blurted out. as she zipped her coat up all the way. She knew better than to stay out here in these kinds of harsh weather conditions, so she tried to find a place to take shelter for the night. She might only be sixteen, but she was mature for her age.
After walking for a little bit longer, Amanda came across a bus stop and decided to spend the night there. Silently she hoped that she would not die of hypothermia before someone found her in the morning.
But before long the sound of rain hitting the bus stop, soon lulled Amanda into a deep sleep.
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Pete Bloom sat on his favorite recliner in front of the fireplace in the living room, mourning the death of his wife and wondering if his daughter was safe on her own. When his cellphone rang abruptly. Thinking It was most likely just his mother that called him back once she heard the voice note he left for her when Amanda never came home. Before answering the phone, it took an extra minute to calm himself down. And after an hour-long conversation with his mother Pete put down the phone more anxious than before he spoke to, her. His mom usually had that effect on everyone. Yawning Pete rose from his seat and made his way back to his room for the evening.
so that he could get some rest after the crazy day that he had, Pete knew he would need all the sleep that he could get. Pete, it turned out, did not take long to fall asleep. Because he was out nearly instantly as soon his head hit the pillow.
