The line cuts off and I see my sister’s face. It turns dark and desperate. The light of hope in her eyes is snuffed out. Clack. The phone that Charlotte was previously holding hits the ground, cracking the screen. She turns and looks out to the large body of water with her dark, empty eyes. The sun which is starting to set doesn’t even reflect off of them.

Tears roll down her face. Her breathing escalates. Her body trembles. She starts walking forward, one step at a time.

“Charlotte don’t!” I cry as I stand in front of her, arms outstretched! “I’m right here!” She walks through me like I was nothing but smoke in front of her. “STOP! Aaron won’t want this. Jaylen wouldn’t want this!”

I take in a large breathe and at the top of my lungs I roar, “I wouldn’t want this!!”

I continue to block her path, but she has finally reached the edge of the bridge. She looks down to the deep river below. Her face reflects over the rippling dark water. Holding onto cold, titanium railing, Charlotte starts to hoist herself over, one leg at a time. The wind blows her hair around like a whirlwind, trying to prevent her from letting go.

“Charlotte! NO! Don’t leave me! PLEASE! I’m not dead! Don’t do this!” I try to stop her. I attempt to grab on to her shoulders, her hair, her neck, anything. My hands just slip right through her.

It feels like time is in slow motion. Every single second I see my sister ever so close to death. I’m a pathetic excuse for a bother. I can’t do anything but watch her fall. She reaches the other side of the railing and looks up to the sky before she lets go.

“No…please no,” I whine like a poor lost puppy. “Don’t leave me.” Images of my parents flashed through my eyes. They were kind and loving. They taught us about the world we live in and how to survive the harsh reality what is known as life. They both died suddenly of cancer that was never discovered until it was too late. “You’re my only family and friend I have left…”

Everything stops just as she lets go. Reality diverges. It’s just me and my sister. I attempt to grab onto her hand as she starts to fall. But reality kicks in as she slips through my fingertips.

“Mallory, I love you…” Her last words were no more than a whisper as they rang through my ears. Her face covered in tears smiles up to the sky before her head crashes onto a sharp rock that protrudes from the water. The only thing left of her is her beautiful smile. The smile that I have always loved about her.

“NO!” I wail. She’s gone. Aaron’s gone. Jaylen’s gone. It’s all because I’m weak. It’s all my fault. If I didn’t have a heart problem, none of this would ever have happened. Is it my fate to watch everyone that I love die in front of me?

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Charlotte’s phone rings again. It goes right to answering machine, but for some reason, I can hear the message.

“Ma’am, I am here to inform you that your brother has made it through. He’s alive and waiting to see you. He’ll open his eyes at any minute.” The message ends and my body starts to shimmer like stardust. First, my hands start to disappear and it gradually travels throughout my entire body. The last thing that I see before my body shimmers away is Charlotte’s smile.