She paused near the door to stand, to take in everything. Each person, one by one walked in a robot-like fashion to the casket as if they were made to walk against their wills. All who were watching from down the line did not speak as silent tears ran down her cheek. All through her mind the memories ran of the moments they had spent...together. Her eyes had shone then, as had her dear friend's.. their smiles had once been powerful enough to brightened any dreadful occasion. They were real smiles that reached their eyes, beautiful and real...but never again. She sat there and realized.. she would never see the smile, never hear the laugh, never see her friend so lively with breath ever again. The people lined up across the room watched in silence as she bent near and whispered, "I'll never forget," in her beloved friend's ear. She touched her long time friend gently on her face, and started to cry once more. With a bittersweet goodbye, she took her last look and moved down the isles of pews, wanting so badly to be taken right then and there. Upon exiting the church, surrounded then by depths of sorrow, the wind began to blow. She took a deep breath and whispered... "I hope you sleep soundly, dear." The wind carried her words with each gust that blew, and even the coldest hearts were pierced by her words.

As they lowered her casket into the frigid ground days later, she prayed she would be taken, too.