Chapter 1

        Grace was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, when she got the phone call. Her thoughts rushed around like a merry go round going one hundred miles an hour. Her phone rang and she answered to the sound of crying. It was her mother at the other end, sobbing. The words she managed to push out stabbed Grace right in her heart. Her brother, Chase, was gone. He had purposely taken too much Vicedon. He was lost forever. Lost to everyone who loved him. Especially Grace.
        After the call, she cried and cried. She cried all day. She cried all night. She slept very little. When she did sleep, she would only wake up and cry more. For days she didn't go to school. Life was Hell. It sucked not having her brother. It sucked even more knowing he hated life enough to end it all.
        About a month after Chase's death, Grace was back on her feet but barely. She hated life more and more. Things weren't getting easier. Just harder.

        Grace got up at the sound of her six o' clock alarm. She got ready for school like any other day and went downstairs for breakfast. Toast. That was all she ever wanted for breakfast now was dry toast. No butter or anything. She sat at the table and ate her toast silently. Two bites in, her mother walked in and kissed her head. "What was that for?", asked Grace. Her mother just sighed and said, "I thank god everyday that your alive.". Grace smiled and left the kitchen silently. She left the house and walked to her bus stop to wait for her bus. across the street she spotted a familiar figure. When she tried to get a closer look,the bus pulled up and obstructed her view. She got on, looking out the windows for the figure. It was gone.
        Grace was a little scared. She didn't know what to think. maybe she was seeing things. She quietly sat at the back of the bus and lost herself in her thoughts. Her head was spinning with thoughts of the figure. By the time she was at the school she had realized the figure was of a boy. She still didn't know what boy though.
        Grace went to her locker to get her notebook for English. All around people were staring at her. A few stopped and sympathized her loss. She hated that. It just made her feel worse. Tears welled up as the warning bell rang. Startled, she quickly wiped her eyes and ran to class.
        In the English room, Grace got a lot of blank stares. The dead silence was awkward. she reached her desk and sighed, trying to keep herself from crying. Then out of the corner of her eye, she caught the figure again. looking over her shoulder it was the boy. Then she realized it wasn't any boy. This was her brother. This was Chase! She jumped from her desk. Kids stared and laughed. "Is there something wrong Miss. Bowen?", asked her teacher. Grace was embarrassed at all the attention she drew. "No.", she replied. The teacher turned toward the board and started writing again. Grace got up and saw the figure of her brother was gone. She was almost at her breaking point. Now she really thought she was crazy. Trying to disregard everything that just happened, she opened her notebook to take notes on literary elements in the book 'Of Mice and Men'. What she found in her notebook shocked her. It was a letter saying, I know you miss me but it ill be okay, i promise. Just write a letter to me every time you feel you need to. Trust me. It works. Love Chase.




Dear Chase,

           Are you sure this letter thing is a good idea? It will just make me miss you more. I'll do it though for your happiness. I love you so much and I miss you greatly. Wow. Writing this is making me feel a little bit better. Tears are still streaking my face but at least I'm smiling . Remember, I will always love you and you will always be with me.

                  Love,
                       Grace