I suppose standing in front of your childhood home, you would feel delightful or happy. But, all that Mia felt was dread and sadness. This was the place where her story began.

The house from her childhood was a worn down house built in the 1800's. It was a brick house that had two floors. The shingles on the roof were rotting. The grass on the front lawn had taken over. The rocks on the path were cracked and eroding, with moss covering them like a blanket. The door was yellow with a moon-shaped window. The window had a couple of cracks but the inside was still visible. Inside, there was some worn down furniture, covered in dust and cobwebs. She noticed that the door was slightly open. She walked up to it and rang the doorbell. Nobody answered. She tried again. Nobody answered.

She opened the door. The air was musty and moist. Dust was flying around and making Mia cough and sneeze. The furniture was left in the same position as she remembered. To the left was the kitchen and to the right was the living room. Mia walked towards the kitchen.

She studied the cupboards and counters. The counters were brown and the cupboards were white. She opened one of the cupboards and saw a can of beans. She picked it up and observed it. The expiration date read 12 JUL 2002. 2002 was the year that Mia had moved out. She was 7 at the time. She turned and saw the dining room.

It was a small room, with a small table and three chairs, Mom, Mia, Noah. The table was left empty with no sign that it was used. A chandelier hung from the ceiling with four candles. Mia remembered when she and her Mom would laugh at the table and eat supper. Mia tried not to think about it.

Stop thinking about it, she thought. It'll only make you sadder.

She turned and saw the stairs to the second floor. She urged herself forward, knowing the horror that lied ahead. She crept up the stairs, her hand gripping the railing. The upstairs was pitch black, except for a few streaks of natural light. She reached the top. There were four rooms, Mom's room, Mia's room, Noah's room and the bathroom. She walked towards the bathroom and opened the door. Inside was a small shower, a sink and a toilet. The mirror was in good shape but everything else was covered in dust.

She stepped out and walked towards her Mom's room. She opened the door and saw her Mom's bed. The bed was made with beige covers and white pillows. Her night stand had a picture of Mia. Mia's curly black hair waving in the wind, her caramel skin bright in the sun's light, her hazel eyes had a sharp look. Her expression was happy. Mia knew that this was at Disney World when she was six, a year before she and her mother moved out.

She walked out and entered her room. Her room was deserted. Mia remembered the night when they left. They had rushed and taken everything. Mia remembered that they fled to Canada because of the Angolan Civil War. Her lamp lay smashed on the ground. Pink and purple designs painted on it. Her closet was open with old sweaters on the hooks and the ground.

Mia left her room and crept towards Noah's room. She tried to hold back her sobs. The lock on his door was old and rusted. Mia opened the flap in the wall and took the key. She inserted it into the lock. It creaked open as Mia turned the key. The lock fell to the floor. Mia put her hand on the knob and turned it. The door slid open. Noah's room was empty, except for one thing. Sitting in the middle of the floor, was a casket that held Noah's dead body. Mia fainted and started dreaming about unpleasant times.

She was at the hospital sitting in a chair with her Mom in tears. Other kids were sitting in chairs, some with broken bones and others with disabilities (at least Mia assumed). There were lights on the walls that emitted little light. The lady at the front desk was on the phone. She had short black hair with purple glasses and a pointed nose. She seemed to have an attitude hence she was annoyed with the other person on the phone.

A lady with blonde hair, dressed in a white cloak entered the waiting room with a clipboard in her hand. Her expression was joyful and happy (kinda weird for working in a hospital). She said in a quiet but sweet tone, "Benson Walker, room 15. Down the hall on your right." She gestured towards the hallway. A skinny boy got up, he had a cast supporting his right arm. He looked to be in great pain but looked handsome. He seemed to be 7 years of age, around Mia's age. He had a mix of blonde and brown hair, with green eyes. He had an upturned nose and a thin upper lip. Even for seven years old he was the knight in shining armor. He glanced at Mia and smiled, then continued down the hall.

"Now, Mia and Audry Johnson, room 24. Down the hall on the left.", said the lady in the white cloak. Mia and her mom got up and started down towards the room. On Mia's left was room 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. They stopped at room 24 and opened the door. Inside room 24 was a hospital bed with electric cords attached to it. There were diagrams on the wall of the human body, with all the bones, muscles, and veins supporting it. There was a sink with magazines of health guides with "tips and tricks!". On the bed lay Noah who was hooked up to an IV. His bald head was shinny and his eyes were closed. His caramel skin gleamed in the light.

"Ms. Johnson, can you step aside?", asked the Doctor. Mia's Mom and the doctor talked silently. "You see, Noah only has a couple of seconds left. I will leave you and your daughter some alone time." The doctor walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Mia turned to Noah. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, but deep down, Mia knew that at this moment, Noah was dealing with a great deal of pain. Mia gripped his wrist crying. Her Mom was at her side covered in tears.

"Oh Noah, you were such a great son.", said Mia's mother. "You were the best thing I could ask for as a mother. Remember when we would go get ice cream every weekend and we would sit under a tree with Mia and chat about school and friends." A smile stretched across her face. "I woke up in the mornings delighted to see you and Mia. But now, I have to say my goodbyes to you. You were amazing, you and Mia. I hope to see you soon, after I die. I promise I will find you in the afterlife, I promise."

As if on cue, Noah passed away. Pain filled Mia. The feeling of loss and dread filled her body. She had just watched her brother die.

Mia stood crying as the doctor came in. He frowned at the sight of Noah. "I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a strong kid.", said the doctor. Mia started to get mad, sorry wouldn't fix it, sorry wouldn't bring Noah back, sorry wouldn't make her stop crying. Did they even try to save him? After all, blacks weren't appreciated, weren't treated equally.

Why is that?, thought Mia. Why do blacks have to be treated worse than whites? We're all the same on the inside. So why do we have to be treated badly, why do we not get to live peacefully, why do we have to be scared all the time?

Standing in front of the doctor, Mia wanted to let out all her anger and sadness. But knowing the consequences, she kept it in.

She turned to Noah, sobbing. Then, his image started to flicker. Mia didn't remember this, this was wrong. Then, the lights started flashing, on and off. The room started swirling, images blurred.

Then, within a blink of an eye, Mia was awake on the dusty floor, crying helplessly.