I walk through the cold, wintry wind past the mines. I hate the mines with everything I've got inside me. Hated them ever since they killed my father. My dad was all I had. My mother died when I was pretty young so my dad raised me on his own. He was the best dad anyone could ask for.

I remember how he would tuck me into bed when I was little, or when he let me climb into his bed when I had nightmares (again I was little). I remember how he would sit by the fire at night. I remember all the stories he told about Mom. I remember how he talked, how he smiled, how he laughed. I miss him, a lot. But the one day I can't get out of my head is the day he died.

The sirens went off when I was fifteen. I left before he woke up that day to collect the laundry from town people for Aunt Posy. If I would have known what happened, I would have stayed. The whistles went off at school in the middle of the afternoon. I ran straight to home, just like Dad told me to do if this ever happened. I ran as fast as I could across the district, hoping that maybe he beat me home since the mines are closer than school is. He wasn't there. All that was there was the note he left saying, "See ya later. Love you. Dad."

I paced and paced and paced all through the night, waiting. But he never came. I realized he wasn't coming home around 10:30. I barely remember Uncle Rory and Uncle Vick coming into the house, tears rimming their eyes.

They made me sit down and Rory took both of my hands. "Vincent," he said. "Your father didn't get out in time." That's when I collapsed into tears. They both tried to comfort me, and Uncle Vick stayed the night. I slept in Dad's bed, holding the note he left closely to me. I'll see him in dreams every now and again, but those little visions have become less and less and less.

I keep the note he left with me all the time, same with the picture of him and Mom on their wedding day that I found in his shirt drawer. I eventually was okay again, but it took awhile. I try to remember the happy things. I know that now he's with Mom and they are both with me all the time. I smile a little, sending the flower down the stream. It's now been five years since he's been gone.