Acceptance

Acceptance: The Final Stage of Death

Many of my days have been bland and uneventful. Childhood came and went like the waves of the sea. Unfortunately, I’ll never forget the death of my best friend.
He sat there and an amorphous body floated over to him. This strange figure had lanky arms and big round belly. The hairs on its head were combed to one side and it reminded him of cornfields. He remembered the corn maze he had went to the previous year and he frowned. Getting lost can be so frustrating. The shape came and sat next to him.
“Go to bed son”
He was in his bed, nestled in his covers. He pulled the covers over his head and he was weightless in space. He soared past the stars and the Milky Way; he passed Luke Skywalker and Superman. His toys were pioneers and his bed was a spaceship. He left Earth, never to return. The blankets were pulled out from above him and he was back in his room.
“Good morning”
The sun was shining that morning. Who could ever forget that day when tragedy struck.
The cars were all in a row outside of his house; each one spaced evenly apart from the previous. He started to count them: one red, two red, two red and one blue, two red and one blue and one grey. The cars were varying in size. Each one they passes grew bigger and bigger. Finally he was surrounded by a group of many giants; each one with its metal teeth and its white eyes. They were going to eat him. He began to speed up his walking pace. Finally he arrived at the bus stop. The doors closed behind him and the bus began to move. It was a cheetah and they were moving faster and faster. They were running away from the giants.
The lady came into their class and they were all sitting down. He began reading the Hardy Boys. They were searching for a lost little girl. He lead the Boys on a wild chase around town. Finally, they found her.
“Pack up your books; it’s almost time to go”
He was standing in the entryway to him home. He was standing in his room. He checked to make sure nothing was touched while he was out. All his toys were in place, all his books in order, bed was neat. There was something different though.
“Mom, where’s Goldie?”
His fish tank was missing. She looked away and he knew what had happened. He ran up to his room and slammed the door behind him. There was no happiness. They world had lost its brilliance. Grey clouds filled the sky. He threw a toy at the wall. He yelled. He lied in his bed with his face in a pillow. He was in his room and everything seemed so huge. He was swimming. He swam in circles for a bit. He couldn’t understand. And then a familiar face came to him.
“What’s the matter?”
It was Goldie. Goldie had risen from the toilet and was never leaving. He was on vacation, of course! He never should’ve doubted his mom. So that’s what he meant by ‘he’s in a better place.’
He sat up in his bed. It was night time out and it was dark in his room. He turned on the lights. Goldie wasn’t there. A wet spot on his desk took the place of his best friend. He sat at his desk, not upset, anymore. He went back downstairs. He hugged his mom, and he ate dinner.