Losing Him

"Darren!" I yelled from downstairs. I had planted myself on the brown leather couch in the living room with the remote in my left hand. The Tv was on in front of me and it was tuned on some show that I didn't really care about. My mother was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. I don't know where my father is but he is probably outside or in his room.

No one came from upstairs. "Darren!" I yelled again. I turned to the stairs and found him standing at the top of the steps. "What you are doing just staring at me, silly?" I smiled at my older brother but he didn't smile back. He has been acting weird lately; ever since he got hurt. He had jumped out of a window and got hurt really bad.

I got up from my comfortable spot on the couch and headed up the stairs to him. He watched my swiftly climb the stairs and turned to me when I was up on the second story. "Darren, why didn't you come down when I called to you?" I wondered, hoping to get him to talk for once.

"I want to show you something," his ghostly voice rang in my ears. He held out an extremely pale hand and I took it. It was the first time I have touched him since the accident. His hand was freezing but I didn't let go; I didn't want to lose him.

We walked to his room and he stepped aside to give me room to open his bedroom door. I quietly opened it and he went inside. I followed. His room looked completely normal; nothing was out of place. He went over to the bed and pulled something out from underneath the bed. It looked to me like an envelope. He set it on the bed and sat down next to it. He pat the bed next to him and I thought he was telling me to come and sit next to him. I followed his instructions and looked down at the envelope. The outside read one name – Annie.

"Please open it Annie," he said. I slowly reached down for it and picked it up. I turned it over and opened it. I pulled out a single piece of paper and unfolded it to reveal a letter. "Read it."

I nodded once and started reading.

Annie,

My most loving little sister, I am proud to be your older brother. I know you must be wondering why I have written this letter. Well, I just wanted to say goodbye… for now. When you find this letter, if you find it, I will be gone. I will have caused my death to happen even thought I am at a young age. I cannot tell you why I have done this but it is very important.

I want you to understand this – I am living a better life now. I am with other people and seeing things I have never seen before. I just wanted to say goodbye one last time. I don't want you to be sad about this but happy that I am somewhere I want to be.

Please don't tell mom and dad about this letter. It is a secret between you and me. I love you and I will always love you forever.

Darren

When I finished reading the letter, unwanted tears were falling down my cheeks with no way to stop them. I turned to my brother and he was now smiling at me. "Please don't forget me," he said. With that, he disappeared into thin air.

I ran out of his room and down the stairs. My father was now sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. "Darren?" I questioned, hoping my big brother would come back. My father heard me and came over to me.

"Sweetie, Darren is dead," he said, rather bluntly. My knees gave in and I slumped to the ground. My father followed me and wrapped his arms around me. That's when I started crying. I cried and cried for the brother that I would never see again.

And the letter was the only thing that proved how much he loved me. It would be something I would always cherish; hoping it would bring him back someday.