A/N: Ernst's POV
I don't think I've ever been to a funeral before. It's unsettling, finally seeing what one is like. Death is terrifying, I'll admit that. Really, how can anyone be sure of what will happen after death? Most of us like to think that God will welcome us with open arms, but how can we be certain? Do you know how Moritz died? He committed suicide, which is a ghastly sin. But he doesn't deserve to burn in Hell does he? Moritz was a good person, but he's supposed to go to Hell for this. So many things in this world just don't make sense
Maybe the threat of Hell is just a deterrent made up in a feeble attempt to keep ones like Moritz Steifel from pulling the trigger. I hope so, because people who kill themselves, I think, aren't necessarily bad, just desperate. Out of hope.
Death is just painfully sad. Why else would we bury people than to try to separate ourselves from the pain of remembering them? It doesn't help though. We may leave them flowers, a symbol of purity and life, but even flowers wilt and decompose. As scary as death is, it's an obstacle all have to face at some point. Crossing the bridge between Earth and Heaven.
I don't think Moritz's father was horrible, as the girls whisper to each other. How can you call someone whose only child just died a horrible person? It does no good. All the children talk about how the teachers are unjustly blaming Melchior for Moritz's death, but isn't it possible that the children are unjustly blaming Heir Stiefel? I think we do this because feelings are easier to deal with when put in a tangible form.
I think we are all afraid of intangible things. The future is always unpleasantly unpredictable, as are love and loss. I do not know which scares me the most. Yet, on some level I know that all that we cherish cannot stay forever., so we try to make things last. I think we were all surprised, thinking that we would always have Moritz around, just another face we would know until we all left to go start our own lives. This whole town took him for granted, expecting him to be there to undermine forever. We assumed that he would leave after the rest of us, perpetually doomed to be unappreciated and stuck in this sad little town for eternity. Who knew that Moritz would be the first of us to leave?
A/N: This one was actually hard to write. Ernst was hard to characterize for me. I hope you're happy with how I attempted to. This chapter kind of goes along with the quote "nothing gold can stay," I guess. The end reminds me of the Georg chapter, but with a different view, not that that's too important. Though I am afraid of becoming repetitive. Someone please warn me if I start to. Anyways, as requested, Ernst is now off my list. Frau Gabor will be next (as long as I can figure out a way to make hers different from Melchior's and the teacher's final paragraph in message). Thank you for reading, and please review!
