The Last Letter

Two years. It's been two whole years since that unfathomable day.

That day I had lost my most precious friend to the depths of isolation and misery. I never found out the story till today; after two years! I could never have guessed what had happened in those two minutes and all my feeble attempts at consolation were worthless. The memory of that day was still stuck in my mind; it had left its burnt mark there. Now as I fall on the bed, I see that day repeat itself..

"Wake up! Wake up!", shouted Jenny, my best friend. I opened my eyes and I could see her gleaming teeth spread in a smile. 

"What now, Jen?", I asked, yawning.

I was staying over at Jenny's house for a sleepover. Her father was home upstairs and her mother was still at work. Jenny had no other siblings and I often stayed over for sleepovers with her so it was almost normal. I looked at the clock; it was midnight. 

"Okay, I've decided! Today, we will definitely stay awake the whole night till Mom comes home!", she said, energetically.

I sighed. There goes my night. Jenny had always wanted to be the first one to welcome her mother when she came home late from work but she never managed to stay awake. Determined as she was, she always fell asleep at the last minute and since I was her best friend, we stayed up together. But I had always enjoyed these fun moments.

"Okay, okay. But first, let's grab some food", I said while my stomach growled.

Jenny grinned her gleaming smile and leaped from the table. Together we made our way to the kitchen, stealthily. We didn't want to awake Jenny's father because he would get very upset at us. He didn't like the idea of us staying awake because we were only 10 years old and so we were would always stay awake secretly. It was fun for us too; we felt like ninjas. But most days he would forget we were even at home.

Just as Jenny was about to enter the kitchen, we heard a loud, piercing scream from above. Jenny spun around, looking shocked. My face mirrored her expression and together we dashed upstairs. The scream came from her father's room; a room which I've never entered. When I had asked Jenny why I couldn't enter she had said that the rest of  her family, including herself weren't even allowed inside. There were times when we would try to enter but we couldn't ever manage to unpick the three locks. But now, her father's room was open.

Jenny looked at me and signalled me to wait outside while she entered the mysterious room. I nodded since it was her house. I sat down and waited. It felt like I was waiting for eternity but it had only been two minutes. Looking back at that day, I realized my greatest mistake. I should have entered the room with Jenny. I should have gone with my best friend. But, it was too late. Just as I was about to touch the doorknob of the room, Jenny came out. 

Her expression was one that I would never forget, for as long as I have live. Her expression was the inside of the grave. Her dark eyes burned in their sockets, out of focus, seeing things that weren't there. Her gaze buried me in dark depths of misery. This was an expression of searing agony. My heart wretched out from my chest and I could only stare at her, numbly. After a while, I had kept on asking her what had happened but she shook her head and walked downstairs. She went to her bed and lay down, frozen. After that day, she never laughed, never grinned, never cried. She would maintain an expressionless face and every now and then, misery and darkness would creep back into her eyes. Hers was a burden I could never bear. Never again would she join me in games or invite me for sleepovers. That day, she had lost her soul.

Her father never said anything to me and a few months later, I had moved away. She was gone from me. My best friend, Jenny had died in those two minutes. She was drowning in her misery and she never shared her burden with me. She had never sent me a letter till today. 

Two years later. Now, she finally explains. But now, it was much too late. She committed suicide and left me. All that was left was her last letter to me. Her last letter. But, I wish I hadn't read it. Now, I carry her burden and I can feel myself drown in dark waters as I read what had happened in those two short minutes. Those two short minutes in that mysterious room killed my friend and now I carry the burden...Once again, I read the letter, still unbelieving.

Dear Lisa, 

 It's been two years since that day. I think you still remember it, don't you? That day I had asked you to stay behind while I entered father's room. You said it was only two minutes but it changed everything; my life, my purpose, my past. I owe it to you now for those years of friendship to explain it all to you. This is my last letter, Lisa and I give it to you. Let me tell you what happened that day when I entered the room...

Reviews

[Kurayami]

This is so sad. I found it frightening.

[Bhumika Devkota]

Are you going to finish it, I really want to know. Great story