Alive

A short sketch used for practicing conversation.

Merryn sat in her beanbag, legs stretched out and ear buds in, singing the words to “Hello, Goodbye” by the Beatles. The afternoon sun shone through the windows, giving her bedroom a warm glow. Her mother appeared at the door, with a grim look plastered on her face, clutching her iPhone and leaning against the door frame. She looked deathly pale and her eyebrows were furrowed into a deep crease.

            “Merryn,” her mother stammered, not continuing after this word.

            “…Mom?” Merryn inquired, extremely confused and terrified. She stripped off her ear buds and rose from her comfortable beanbag chair, moving slowly to her mother.

            “Merryn,” the woman began again, “Alex… He… His flight went down.”

            Merryn froze in her steps. Her eyes locked with her mothers and she knew it was serious. The blood drained from her face and her head became dizzy. Her brother, Alex, was attending the University of Vermont, and was supposed to be flying home to Alexandria, Louisiana that morning.

            “No,” was all that came out of Merryn’s mouth. “No… it didn’t… it couldn’t have,” she continued, stumbling on her words and fervently shaking her head. “No, not Alex. It didn’t happen.”

            “I just got a call,” her mother whispered, diverting her eyes from Merryn’s to the carpeted floor. “The plane went down somewhere over the mountains,” she paused, gazing back up at Merryn, cringing. “No survivors have been reported.”

            “But Alex. Alex survived. He had to have survived. Don’t you dare say he didn’t make it because he did,” Merryn screeched at her mother.

            “Mer…” her mother began, “don’t…denying it isn’t going to make it reverse.” A tear streamed from her left eye and she choked down a sniffle. “It’s impossible to be strong through this but it doesn’t help if you are victimizing me!” she continued, raising her voice as she went. “How do you think I feel? My first child just went down in a plane and I will never be able to see him again!” He voice cracked as she articulated the word ‘never.’ “My baby boy! My Alex! Oh my God,” she choked out as sobs climbed from her throat and tears drained from her eyes. She broke down and dropped to the floor, cradling her own body, her face enclosed within her arms.

            Merryn stared at her weeping mother, shaking on the ground. She peered out her bedroom door and back down at her mom. Abruptly, she turned and sprinted out of her room, tears welling up. She didn’t allow herself to cry; she was determined to find her brother, out in the mountains, alive.