I had to stop the memory before it continued and take a moment to wipe away my tears before continuing.

The doctors and nurses did all they could. But she had lost too much blood. Too many snapped bones. Her rip had pierced her lung. It was a miracle she survived long enough to get to the hospital.

I just nodded blankly, my world breaking around me.

My mum arrived as quickly as she could. She had to pack up our stuff. She bought it in a jumbled up bag, our stuff all together, spilling out onto the floor. I stared at her sleeping bag as I said;

"She's dead."

My heart broke as I had to admit those words. My mum had the same reaction as mine, only halved. She sunk to the floor, defeated.

I didn't hear anyone speak for ages afterwards. I just stayed in my room, alone in the paradise Iro had made for me. I looked at each of the walls, taking in the black and white figures one by one. I didn't eat as much as before. I... I knew  it was hurting my mum. But whenever she called me down, I would try, but it would just taste like wrappers for all the sweets she had loved. Plasticity. Sometimes even like cardboard or fabric, like it was choking me. I couldn't manage much before excusing myself and returning upstairs.

I stared at the pin board, looking at the photos of her laughing face, her smile, her posture, her hair... I stroked the rainbow ribbon gently. Her last gift to me.

Then her funeral came along. I didn't want to go. It sounded stupid - but I didn't want to say goodbye. I knew she wouldn't want to be buried - but her dad wouldn't pay for anything more. She would want to be cremated.

"Why do you think that?" My mum asked as we drove. She kept her eyes on the road, but when we stopped at a traffic light, she looked at me for a answer.

"So she could be free. And she could the choke anyone she didn't like." My mum laughed at that. It was usually a beautiful sound. But now nothing was beautiful. Everything was just... Empty.

Her coffin was bland, plain. I couldn't see her, but I left her the rainbow of roses I had bought. It took all my mental effort not to cry as they lowered her into the ground.

The service was over quickly. Everyone telling me how sorry they were for me. A few people from school showed up. They nodded at me awkwardly. I felt so angry they came, but didn't let it show. How dare  they come when they hadn't spoken a kind word to her?

This wasn't like loosing a friend. It was like loosing a limb. Or organ. Most likely my heart.

The only person I was glad to see was Dave. He was wearing a formal suit with a patchwork tie. He noticed me quickly in the corner and came over. We stood in silence. He seemed to understand that words couldn't do much. It was a action that snapped me back to sense.

"I can't say I knew her, but I know she meant a lot to you." He said. "Here." He handed me the tie.

It was the same one he had given Iro. A mirror image. My eyes brimmed with tears, but I smiled. "Thank you."

He smiled and left me alone. He got it. Why couldn't anyone else?

It was my mums idea. After the funeral, she suggested it. I agreed, glad she took my point seriously.

We went to her room. I caught my breath before starting. The bright walls had been painted over with a ugly, sloppy black. Upon asking why, her dad glared at me.

"I didn't want that mess in her room. She was messed up enough, she didn't need to tell the whole world."

I hated him. I could see why she had too.

We gathered up her items, took them outside and burnt them, aside from the precious ones. Her body may be underground, but her spirit would be free. I was left with her patchwork duvet and tie, her feather crown, her drawing book and a story board.

When we found the story board I couldn't believe my eyes. She had done another! And more then that - she had been designing more and more characters in her notebooks, more then I dared hope. More plants, more animals, more skies. More beauty.

That was the day I noticed the thing on the notebook. It was a willow leaf. I felt like crying all over again, but instead opened it carefully and looked at the drawings.

I didn't sleep for two nights to look through them all. My hands shook as I reached the end. I could almost see beauty again, but I knew if it ended with a picture, it would fade. She had written something on the end cover, quickly but still carefully. It was surrounded by drawings, but was readable enough.

If I should ever be harmed or die, give this to Hairo. She'll know what to do.

I nodded. I did know what to do.

This one's short. I tried to make it bigger, but I wanted to end it there.

Well, my heart is still breaking. I wrote this all in one foul swoop, over the course of a day - well, technically two, but that's being picky. Over twenty four hours, but under forty eight hours. I felt like being... Um... Nice to you all. Guess this chapter didn't help. Whoops. 

Question for this chapter - what do you think Iro wants Hairo to do? And clever you if you noticed 'Iro' in Hairo's name. It took me a while to notice that, but... Eh. So what do you think's gonna happen?

Until next time,

~Glitch