Craving.

• Taliyah Pillay, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2021

As I was looking out the window of the bus, seeing happiness spread on faces all around. It was a feeling I was familiar with, something I had once felt. It made me sad. I knew I was never going to feel that again. The world was teasing me, taunting me, giving me a little taste, then ripping it away, just so I could crave for it the rest of my life. I remember feeling the most at peace with him. I was never alone, he made sure that, made sure he was at my side, he made sure I always felt safe. And yet the world didn’t want that for me, it wanted me to be sad, to know a comfort I will never have, again. And so, the world took him from me, took him from everyone, like his light was too pure for the worlds darkness as such took him to a place where purity is the only known thing, Heaven.

Sometimes your happiest memories, are your saddest. Because, well, memories are in the past, so whatever my happiest memory is- I’ll never be as happy as I was then. I’d never feel the same kind of comfort, I’ll never feel that joy, or that peace. I won’t feel that happiness.

Doloras. That was my name. I’ve always hated it; it seemed my name only brought despair. It seemed to kill. Kill the spirits of others, kill the hopes of others, and physically kill others. His name was Kye, the boy the world took away, or maybe the boy the world returned to Heaven?

And so, I stood there, above the world, on the roof; I was ready to meet him again. I will never be alone again. I will be loved again.

And then I jumped, I took my last breath in this world, dreaming about how I would feel that same happiness again, and promised myself to never let go of it again.