"Life... Is a curse we celebrate, and death is the mercy we mourn to," I once heard those words... Somewhere, a lony time ago, so long ago that I can't even remember which is kinda funny as I'm turning just 16 today.
Yes, today. However, I was in no mood to celebrate, just yet.
Why? it's because there were some other more matters, much more important ones which I needs to attend to.
"You look good in black," said the person beside me as I chuckled, trying to appear normal but it still sounded filled with grief and sadness.
"Let's go," i said as I walked towards the door, the metallic automated one which opened on it's on and closed itself when I came out, only to see two little kids in front of me.
A boy and a girl, both having blonde hair like our mother while I had black just like our father.
They are my little siblings, Rin and Lala, both 9 year old, and twins with Rin being a few hours older than Lala.
"You both look excellent," I said to them with a smile as I patted both of them in thier heard while they shifted a bit uncomfortably.
'They hate you,' I heard a voice, telling me that from behind me as I just signed, 'I know,' I said, as a smile appeared on my face.
After all, it would be weird if they didn't ended up hating me after all that, kids are innocent creatures, it's easy to mold them in any way to want them to... Easy enough to make them hate someone.
"But, so be it," I said that aloud, so what if they hate me? I love them and that's enough of a reason for me to be with them, after all, they are my siblings.
"Let's go," i said again, this time to both of them as I checked them time,"It's almost time for our parents funeral."
That's right, today is the funeral, of both these kids parents... And mine too.
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The funeral wasn't what one would expect, no gloom, no clouds, no violin playing in the background... Mostly because it's what I intend for it to be.
Instead, it looked like a cheerful garden party. Tables were lined up beneath the warm of the afternoon sun, under the clear blue sky filled with birds and clouds with people were laughing, talking, eating victuals as though they were at a wedding instead of a funeral.
The atmosphere was, noble like, to picture-perfect to be true, which it's not.
The scent of roasted meat, sweet tarts, and brewed tea filled the air, intertwining oddly with the scent of fresh-cut grass and blooming flowers.
Children played tag between gravestones, weaving around flowers and memorial stones as if death was just another excuse to celebrate life... Partially what have become of this world over the last century.
As for me? I sat on a wooden bench, slightly tilted due to uneven ground, beneath the shade of an old tree at the far edge of the cemetery. Alone. Watching it all with some sigh.
A plate of food had been left on the bench beside me... However it remains untouched, yet.
"Joyful, isn't it?" said a man walking by, lifting his glass in a casual toast. "Your parents would've liked this." he said as he sat beside me, he was uncle John, also my father's supposed bestfriend.
I didn't answer him. Just gave a nod and turned my gaze back to the crowd and then at the centre, where a group of workers finished digging up the graves as they settled my parents body in them.
No one paid any special attention to it tho, except for Rin and Lala, who were being held by the same workers, they are efficient I give them that.
Occasionally, a person or two walked towards them and offered them candy and condolences but they barely registered that.
I sighed and kept looking, as they finished setting up the stones.
The gravestones looked new, and polished, but they probably weren't, my parents names written on them in silver letters:
"In Loving Memory of Arlen and Serah, beloved by many, mourned by few."
I let that irony sink in.
Because the truth was, people didn't come to mourn.
They came to network.
To eat.
To pretend they cared.
This wasn't grief. This was a stage, and everyone here was an actor in bright clothes and plastic smiles.
I closed my eyes and leaned back.
"Happy birthday, Aura." I muttered, just loud enough for no one to hear except me.
Then came that voice again. Whispering, like it always did.
"You don't belong here."
I smirked without opening my eyes.
"I know," I whispered back, "and neither do they." That's right.
I didn't come to mourn either.
I came to watch the masks.
And to make sure my siblings knew which ones would someday fall off.
Because they would.
They always do.
Oh, I came here to celebrate too, after all, it's my birthday, they best one as far as I could remember over the last decade, if I have to say so.
After all, i might be the happiest person on earth right now, because the one who killed my parents, was Me.
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PS:- Hey, plz give this work a try guys, i promise I'll deliver a banger story, the outline is ready fr, just bear with my inconsistent updating schedule for a while tho, i have exams coming up 😔 💔🥀