• i walked behind the big counter, picking up the leftover cups from customers, and cleaning underneath with a damp cloth, i stared, absent-mindedly, out the window, thinking. the orange light that was filtering through it was extraordinary, i had never seen a color this beautiful before...or this red.
    i looked back to the counter...and was suddenly aware of something...someone, with me. it was strange. everyone had gone. so then...why was there someone sitting at the end of the counter? i gasped as my hands flew to my mouth, shaking, eyes wide. it was like a shadow, but white, in the shape of somewon i knew...somewon i knew very well, a girl. "si...s-s..." i tried to get my words out, but i was shaking so much that it was proving difficult. she was staring down at the table, but now her head tilted up at me, her eyes inquisitive, but sad...very sad. her dark brown hair now looked red at the orange light reflecting off of it. "s...sicily?" my sister, as pale as the day when her boyfriend had proposed. her hands lay elegantly on the table; she was wearing something that looked like a veil, and a white, almost pink, dress. i wasn't there when she died, i was to busy over here...not caring about anyone but me. dont get me wrong, i loved her...but my mind was on other things.
    "i..." she was trying to speak, i swallowed hard. "ye...?" i whispered, my lips quivering, was this a dream? "i...i." she was breathing deeply, almost as if she was running out of oxygen. "i-i need...n-need..." she gasped just from the effort of trying to form words, sucking in the air. i stared at her, bewildered.
    "...w-what...?"
    "need...need...!" she suddely reached out a weak hand, it was so fragile. i wanted to run, run away, but at the same time, take her in my arms and tell her how sorry i was for not being there. she stared into my eyes, her deep blue ones would of sparkled, if she wasn't... but was she? did she really die? should i of really believed everything my parents had told me? slowly, very slowly, i walked over, steadily reaching out my hand. it touched hers, skin on skin. it was cold...stone cold. i gasped at the feeling and tried to retract my hand, but my sister was holding it tightly, holding on for dear, precious life, savoring the warmth of my flesh and blood. i dont know if it was the lighting, but i thought i saw a thin smile spred across her pale face. she looked up at me and as she did, i could feel her hand, slowly slipping away, not being taken away, but just sort of...vanishing. i stared as she slowly disappeared into nothingness, the things that were behind her, slowly fading into view. now all i could see was the chair she had been sitting on. the brilliant orange light that had been coming through the window, now dimmed to a gold sunset. i stood there stunned for a moment, then realized that my hand was still outstretched. i retracted it, letting it gently fall to my side. tears prickled into my eyes and trickled down my cheek and i sobbed out loud, as if wanting the whole world hear my cry.