Memories of the lost

“That bicycle.” Cherry says looking at the chained-up bike from her window. It’s been half a year since it happened, the bike being the only reminder of what occurred that day. Cherry takes a deep breath turning away from the window, she felt that she did not have enough strength in her heart to lock away the piece of her past as it would be locking away some of her life as well. Wanting to get away from the window, she exits the bedroom heading downstairs towards the living room. Grabbing the remote that was sitting on a small table, she sits down to watch TV to take her mind off the object.

“Sister, I found something.” A young boys’ voice says to her from behind. She stops, looking around the entire room trying to find the source. Tearing up, she gets up off the sofa and goes to the glass door at the edge of the room. There it was, still sitting there. “I can’t” Cherry repeats to herself, grabbing her sweater and exiting the house. Walking onto the sidewalk, she looks up towards the bright orange sunset sky, taking the moment in. Sighing, she continues down the street and ends up stopping at a nearby convenience store. She gets a carry-on basket, heads down the aisle not knowing what she wants. Pondering over the selections, she begins to put random items into her basket filling it. Upon grabbing a chocolate cupcake her hand freezes, tears again hitting her arm and dripping to the floor. “Are you okay madam?” a store employee asks her.

“I’m fine, really. Just tired.” Cherry says using her sleeve to wipe her face. She puts the cupcake back onto the shelf, motioning to the worker that she was ready to pay. After exiting the store, she immediately opens one of the sweets in her bag, scoffing it down. Her long pink hair getting dirty from the snack.

Upon entering her home, she throws the bag of stuff onto the counter, some of its contents spilling out onto the surface. She grabs her phone, the screen showing that her mother had sent her a few text messages. Sighing, she turns off the screen placing the phone back onto the counter. Ever since the incident, her estranged mother keeps trying to get in contact with Cherry. Knowing there’s nothing else to do at the moment, Cherry lies down on the sofa closing her eyes.

Returning to the day of the incident, the scene playing out exactly as she just witnessed it. After Cherry’s father died, the court gave the newly turned twenty-year old custody over her nine-year-old brother since their mother had left them the year after her brother was born. A month had passed since then, and every day Cherry would take her brother out so he could enjoy the neighborhood. Though on that day an uneasy feeling came over Cherry, as they were walking down the sidewalk. Her brother was throwing a small ball into the air while whistling a tune she could not remember where it was from. Mid thought, he accidentally trips letting the ball drop and roll across the road. “I can get it sis.” He says grabbing the small two wheeled object that Cherry had at her side before she could stop him. He rides it out into the street, hoping to scoop up the toy and to reach the other side safely. At the end of the road, a car was driving full speed followed by sirens, police cars chasing the lead vehicle. At that second, time stops as she watches the car hit her brother sending him about ten feet over the sidewalk. Full of shock at what had just occurred, she glimpses the driver in the corner of her eye and knows who it is instantly.

“Mother, why?” She says as everything goes black

Cherry wakes up from her dream sweating profusely with tears running down her cheek. “I can’t stop thinking about it.” She screams stuffing her face into a pillow. Her phone buzzes again, this time though Cherry got up and dialed the number.

“Hello?” The voice says on the other end.

“Why did you do it?” Cherry says tightening her fist.

“What are you talking about?”

“It was you in the car that day, the day he died.”

“Oh that, what proof exactly do you have that I was the one that did it.”

“None yet, but there will be some, you can expect that.” Cherry says hanging up. She angrily pounds the countertop bruising the underside of her hand. Grabbing an ice pack from the fridge, she stares up towards the white smooth ceiling. “Thank you." A young voice says coming from everywhere. Cherry quickly turns scanning the room for where the sound could have come from. The glass door to the outside opens by itself, beckoning Cherry to come out. She slowly goes to the doorway, with the orange leaves falling onto her clothing and inside the house. There her heart stops as she sees a vision of her brother smiling giving a thumbs up. “I’ll end this and solve your murder.” She says through her tears.

“Thank you again, sis.” The vision says again walking over to the bicycle, stepping on it, and disappearing.