Well, this chapter was supposed to be about young Daniel's trip to Colorado...but my muse (who it appears is finally back from vacation) had other ideas. This chapter is written slightly differently. A bit depressing. Tissue warning.

The Chronicles of Young Daniel Jackson: Chapter 3

The next few days went by in a blur. Young Daniel knew that he must have gotten up during those days, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, eaten some food...but he didn't really remember all that... Then, one day he woke up and there were his clothes for the day laying on his bed. Black pants. Black shirt. Black jacket. Black socks. Black shoes. And he knew. In not all countries was the color of mourning black, but as young Daniel got dressed that morning--pulling the dark shirt on over his head, he felt that black fit perfectly.

Black like a dark pit that you fell into and couldn't get out of. Where people walk by in their brightly colored clothes not even noticing your distress. Black like a darkness so deep that you didn't even know where you were or what you were doing. Dark like the night sky without any stars to light the way... Yes, young Daniel thought that the color black suited this day perfectly.

Murray was a dark solid presence next to him as they walked toward the hotel doors. Young Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as they walked through--half fearing that that awful doorway would claim Murray too. A drop fell on his head and he realized that it was raining.

Raining like it had been the day that they had arrived. Pouring down in loud pounding streams. In the dessert rain was something to celebrate...but not here. At this moment young Daniel knew with uptmost certainty that he would always hate the rain. Though he did feel that it suited today. As if the skys had opened up and the gods themselves were weeping...

They had umbrellas at the cemetery. Dark black umbrellas. Blocking out the wetness of the rain but not the sound of it. The rain continued to pound down blending out the sound of the priest talking...

And the people there--young Daniel by far the smallest among them. All gathered close in their dark clothing under the dark umbrellas. Black and silent. With the gray rain pounding down around them. Vague gray shapes surrounding them everywhere. The ground dark and muddy beneath their feet. Not a speck of brightness anywhere...

And all that young Daniel could do was stare at those two identical dark pits in front of him. They seemed to go down a very long ways. He felt as if he might fall down into that terrible maw and his breath came out in ragged gasps.

His parents were down there--trapped in two identical wooden boxes. And they were never coming out. And he would never see them again. And he would never go home. He was trapped here in this place. With the rain that never stopped pounding. And the too many strangers that hurried past--never even glancing his way. As if he didn't even exist to them. Where all the buildings were much too tall and close together. And the ground was hard and unyielding beneath his feet. Where no one even seemed to notice when two people...his parents...his whole world...disappeared...

Young Daniel stared into those two identical dark holes and watched through tear-blurred eyes as dirt was thrown on top of those shiny wooden boxes...until you couldn't even see them any more...

Any one at the Jackson's funeral that day could tell you how very small and fragile young Daniel Jackson looked gazing sightlessly at his parents' graves--the tall dark stranger with his strong hand on Daniel's shoulder standing silently at his side. Some wondered if young Daniel Jackson even really realized what was going on--as he was so very young...

But, young Daniel Jackson did realize. In fact he realized all too well. He realized that a part of his life was now over--a part that he would never ever get back again. For he had left behind a part of his childhood--a part of his innocence--buried in the dirt of his parents' graves...and he would never be able to get that part back just as he would never get his parents back... That day Young Daniel Jackson began the slow process of growing up. And from that day on his life would never be the same again.

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