Peace in death

Since I was little, I have been told that there is a heaven, and a hell. But who can you believe? Many times I'd like to believe what I'm told, but thinking about death makes belief a trial. So when I was ten, I decided that when you're dead, you become a skeleton, nothing more. Since I was ten, I have been a dark child. Many would call me demonic, I say it was the torture of thinking about dying. If someone were to know this, I don't think they would understand. I suppose I should tell you the reason why my life had become so dark. 1

"MAGGIE! Are you up dear? It's time for school honey!" I climbed out of bed. I had been awake since five in the morning. It was my birthday and I was turning ten. I climbed out of my pink PJs and into a plain white sweater and some jeans. 2

"I'm coming mommy! I'll be down after I brush my teeth." It was a nice day, not perfect but the sun was shining and it was snowy. We lived in an old style town, the sidewalks made of individual stones and the roads as well. The streetlights glowed as it was still rather dark out. 3

I ran out to the car where my mom sat waiting and buckled my seat belt as I got in. As we drove to my elementary school, I started wondering about things. My pappy had died three months ago, he was the only living grandparent I had left. 4

"Mom, how did pappy die? Daddy wouldn't tell me when I asked him." My mom looked distraught at the question, but didn't try to change the subject. 5

"Maggie, honey, I don't think you're old enough to hear it."6

I loved my mother too much to yell or anything, but I had to know. Ever since daddy came up to my room and told me pappy died, I had had a brick on my heart. It weighed it down, down into the depths of my stomach. 7

"Mom, I really need to know. I think I can handle it. Just tell me. I want to know exactly what happened." My mother sighed and sipped her coffee. I could tell she was already regretting what she was about to do. 8

"Pappy was murdered honey." This wasn't shocking. We lived in a hated family because of pappy's political status. Pappy, Johnathon Markinson was the mayor of our town for five years, until he resigned because of the mobs that would try to attack him every day.9

"Mom, I asked for specifics. How was he murdered and exactly why?"10

Mom looked at her watch. I knew we had time. It was a twenty minute ride to my school.11

"You're too young Maggrin, you don't need to worry about those things. Now why don't we just-"12

"Eliza!" I yelled. I called her by her first name when I was angry with her. She gave me a harsh look. 13

"You don't talk to your mother that way young lady! Alright I'll tell you. Pappy as you know was the mayor of our town, and he wasn't well liked. There was a particular group of men that didn't like my mom or pappy or me. They didn't like us because before pappy was mayor, he had a farming equiptment factory and one of the mob, uh, gang membors was an employee there. Pappy had to lay him off because the man was reported for stealing. Ever since the man had felt angst, or anger against pappy. He formed a gang and they raided his house. They, stabbed pappy to death honey. So much that the police couldn't recognize him. Are you ok? Do you want to go back home? You can stay home if you like..." Suddenly the brick that weighed down my heart flew up and hit me in the head. My heart came quickly up my throat. Stabbed. Unrecognizable. They stabbed Pappy Markinson to death. I'll kill them. It was right at this moment I decided that I would find these men and kill them myself. I also decided that there was no heaven or hell. Just punishment for the bad and rest for the good.14

"I'm alright Mom. I don't need to stay home. I think I'll be fine."15

We drove along the rest of the way to school until we were on an empty street about two blocks away. We heard a loud bang and felt the tire go flat. 16

"I knew that would happen. Do you want to help me change the tire?"17

Without saying a word I climed out of the car and walked around to the back where the spare tire was. My mom stepped out and examined the tire. I watched her, waiting for her to get the spare. She frowned and look closer at the tire. 18

"What's wrong mom?" I walked around so I was next to her. Suddenly her eyes came out of the scowl and she looked very worried. 19

"Get in the car, Maggie." Her tone scared me.20

"Momma, what's wrong?" 21

"Just get in the car. Now." She said without looking at me.22

"Momma that looks like a bullet ho-" I was cut off from my sentance as four dark figures came out of the alley and toward us. Something spun quickly toward my mom. It was a knife. Suddenly she fell down on me, her blood everywhere, all over her head, all over my new white sweater. The last thing I remembered was her eyes, they were dead eyes. Stone cold dead. Snow fell down in big flakes, and the blood was everywhere.23