Red

Gabriel stares at the roses sitting on top of his sister's gravestone. With a blank look, he picks them up and plays with the white ribbon keeping the bundle together. Andrea would have loved these flowers; they came from her treasured rosebush. A lump develops in Gabriel's throat, making it hard for him to breathe and blurring his vision.

Suddenly, the roses bash against the stone repeatedly. A sob of anguish erupts from Gabriel's mouth as tears he has held in for a week flow down his face. The petals decorate the freshly dug dirt covering his sister's casket, triggering a memory of crimson drops on a fuzzy brown rug.

The short flashback abruptly stops Gabriel's unhinged actions, allowing guilt to squeeze his heart. Andrea would have been disappointed at him for destroying such beautiful flowers. But for a moment, Gabriel couldn't help himself. Not when his baby sister's favorite flowers were the same color as her blood.

With a shaky breath, Gabriel bends down and starts to pick up the petals one by one. He tosses the damaged flowers in a trash can nearby, which is already filled with tear and snot-soaked tissues. Gabriel comes back to his sister's grave and pats the gravestone gently.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. I'm just sorry."

Gabriel walks away with his head low and hands in his black suit pockets. Maybe he'll come by tomorrow with new roses. Or maybe he'll just end up destroying the bush.

Word Count: 247 words

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A message to the reader,

This story and message was difficult to write. For personal reasons I will not disclose, suicide is something I do not generally write about. But after processing some recent news, I felt the need to change that.

To anyone who is struggling with their mental health, do not try to go at it alone. Talk to someone, a friend, a family member, a therapist. Someone. To those who have lost someone to suicide, my heart goes out to you. Again, talk to someone.

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