Prologue 2

The grass on which she stood on slipped her off the hill. In her shock and horror, Beth let out a fearful cry, reaching out blindly as she fell off. Eric grabbed her and tried to pull back but the wet grass wouldn’t comply – he slipped too and landed on his knees. He hissed painfully but held unto her. “Eric! Eric!! Don’t let go. Please don’t let go.” Her plea resounded on the hill.

“I won’t. I won’t.” He was slipping too, she could see it; she could feel it. And as though on cue, Eric fell off the edge along with her. Beth screamed, grabbing unto him with her other hand, tightening her grip. Eric grunted but didn’t let go, he held her with one hand and with the other, somehow found something to hold onto.

Scared, she called out. “Help! Help!!”

They slipped further. “Stop yelling! You would only make it worse.”

Oh, good gracious! The tears gathered, slowly impairing her vision. They were going to die! They would surely die! “I don’t want to die, Eric. Don’t let us die.” She cried out to her brother.

His breathing became heavier with the passing moments. He was in pain, she could tell. “I won’t. You are not dying here, I promise.” They dropped again and fell further down. He was losing his grip on whatever it was he held unto. Beth screamed again and burst out crying. The tears wouldn’t stop. Then she heard him through ragged breathing. “Try to place your feet on a ledge.” She made no movement. “Find one; fix your foot, one before the other.”

The rising sun began to illuminate the hill, but it no longer gave the trill that was expected, nor the joy that was craved. At the moment, Beth hated nothing more than the light it gave; the promise of life that was no longer sure. The sun mocked her; it was laughing at them. Through her fear, she obeyed him, quickly using whatever ledge she could find as leverage. “I’ll find some.”

“Good.” His breathing got worse. Was he alright? “I’ll let go of your hand–”

Let go of her hand? “No, no please don’t. I'm scared.”

He heaved heavily. “Don’t be. I'm here.” When she finally agreed, he continued. “I’ll let go; you will grab onto the other ledges and climb back up on my back.” She whimpered. “No questions asked. Just do it, alright?”

“Okay.” She secured her position on the ledges, and Eric let go. Beth felt faint. She had never been scared as such in her entire life and the thought that it was on her birthday scared her even more, but because her brother Eric was with her, she toughened up. Slowly, she began to climb back up, one ledge at a time. Beth held onto him, got on his back; on and on she climbed, and soon reached the peak of the hill. Quickly turning, while still lying on her stomach, she called to him. “Eric! Climb up!”

He looked up and for the first time, she saw his face. No wonder his speech was forceful. He had blood all over his face; the red liquid ran down from the top of his head and Beth’s tears gathered again. “I'm fine.” He reassured her. “Are you?”

Choking down her tears, she replied. “I will be when you get up here.” He smiled at her. How could he be smiling in a situation like this? And he had no right to be worried about her when he was bloodied. One hand after the other, he climbed back up to her. When he lost a footing, Beth’s heart stopped. “Eric!” She called in fear. He grunted away the pain, set his foot back and resumed climbing. She helped him when he climbed to her reach. “You are alright. You are alright. You are alright.” On and on, the mantra went. “You are alive.” She muttered, pulling him in.

And then he rolled over. Beth covered her mouth with her hand to hold back the sobbing. “Oh Eric, please don’t do this.” He had a big wound on his abdomen and it was bleeding fast. Getting composure of herself, Beth ran for her jacket and quickly covered the wound. She knelt down beside him and pressed down on it. Her effort to reduce blood loss gained her a groan from him. Even though she knew deep down that it was impossible, desperately she asked. “Can you walk? I’ll support you; I promise I’ll support you.” He looked to her and smiled. The message was clear. “Eric please, I'm pleading earnestly. Please.” Her lips quivered and her mouth dried up. How could it be?

He placed his hand on hers. “You are not to blame. We both slipped.” She began to shake her head. “Beth. Bethany, look at me.” Beth mustered up enough courage to do so. His bloodied face stared back at her; the wound on his forehead was yet to stop. “I know how you love to think the world is facing its entire problem because you exist in it,” he rasped, “but this–” he groaned. “This is not your doing. I would have done anything to see you safe.”

“And you did. And you did.” She agreed. But this would not have been if she had not wished to see the sunrise on the hill. Why did she ever fill that the hill was special? As a last resolve, she tried again. “Help! Please help!!” Her voice fell. “Somebody. Anybody. Help us.” The tears fell on the back of her hand. There was no one.

Eric smiled and groaned. “Save up your strength little sister for the climb down.” A low, guttural sound came from him. “This was not the morning I planned for you.” He coughed. “Forgive me.”

She gasped and dragged. How could he even think of apologizing? She stopped sobbing and cleared her throat. “What should I do?”

He squeezed her hand weakly, breaking her heart further. “I'm cold.”

Beth swallowed and gave her all to keep the tears at bay for he needed her. Her brother needed her. She lay herself down beside him on the cold grass, still holding his hand. “I'm so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” They laid there in silence. The sun was still far away but Beth could already feel the warmth it brought. At the least, her brother would be warm. Eric’s breathing got heavier by the passing moments and all she could do was listen. After a moment, his voice came in a whisper. “Remind Mother and Father of my love for them.” Beth bit down on her lips to not sob, squeezing his hand. She didn’t want to interrupt. “Ask Gwen to forgive me for not fulfilling my promise to her. And tell Lucy that I'm sorry. She always wanted a brother.” Then he laughed, and groaned immediately. “I suppose I'm breaking a lot of promises today.” When he lifted his hand slowly to ruffle her hair, Beth exploded. She couldn’t restrain herself anymore. “And tell Beth not to blame herself and to always remember that I love her.”

She buried her face in his arm and cried. She cried until she couldn’t anymore, and he let her. She cried for her loss, for his loss. She cried for her parents and for all the unfulfilled promises. She cried because she would not be able to watch him become a loving husband and a good Father. But most of all, she cried for the future that was being lost.

“I love you so much Eric. I will never stop loving you.” She promised painfully.

“I love you too.” His voice was hoarse, barely audible. “The sunrise is beautiful, isn’t it?” As she turned her face to see it, his hand fell from hers.

She became still.

Beth didn’t let go. She couldn’t let go of his hand; couldn’t let go of him. For as long as she could, she held unto him, unto his warm hand, a hand that was so full of life hours ago, one that had ruffled her already disheveled hair, one he had promised would always trouble her hair even when they become old and frail. “Ah! Ah!!” She yelled in pain. She clenched his limped hand even more, willing life back to him. Her tears came then in torrent, her crushed heart unable to comprehend all that was happening.

How could it be? How could he be taken away from her, right before her very eyes? How was she to live without him? Life would never be the same; her family would never be the same for he was everything and more to her; to them.

When her tears finally ceased, she begrudgingly let go of his hand and looked down on hers, it was smeared with blood; her brother’s blood. She couldn’t cry anymore.

Beth started down the hill, walking haphazardly like a lost soul; dragging her feet, her eyes unfocused. It was time to tell the family, it was time to tell everyone who cared to listen. It was time to make it known.

Her brother was dead.