With a ball in her hand, the young girl shot her arm outwards, causing the rubber to soar fast towards the stone grave. It bounced back on the grimy dirt, slowed to a roll, and finally stopped at her feet. She picked it up again, the red rubber fibers covered in rain-drenched earth. Overhead, through the leafless trees, a raindrop fell upon the girl’s thick hair. Then another fell, this time landing on the ball, and as soon as she went to wipe the wetness off, a loud thunderclap shook the little girl’s body. It was as if the heavens had opened up, letting gallons of smooth reflection fall upon the already soaked earth.

Running, almost skipping to a large grave, the girl sat down under what little protection she could find. Looking up at the trees, she noticed they had been stripped of their leaves by the harsh winter. Yet spring was approaching, and with it the warmth that the girl longed for. But for now, she would have to endure the chilly winter day. She laid back, rain surrounding her, and looked up at the sky. A few scarce branches blocked her view, but she did not mind. In fact, she would have liked be sitting under them, but with their leaves gone, they would provide little protection. So instead, she stayed under the large grave, embracing the cold stone with a warm heart.

But soon, growing bored and lonely, she got up and stepped into the rain. It did not matter how soaked her hair got, or how cold the rain felt against her bare feet. She was just glad to be in the graveyard, away from the even harsher chill at home. Loving how the gray tree branches blended into the cloudy sky, she laid on a small patch of grass, eyes beaming. The rain pounded on her forehead, running down her face like tears. Yet she was happy to be here, happy to enjoy the sight overhead and the rubber ball back by the grave.

With that thought, the rain stopped instantly, and the clouds parted. Warm sunlight drenched her body, enveloping her in a blanket of silk. Getting up with renewed vigor, she called out for her parents, ready to go back home. Realizing that they were never there in the first place, the little girl screamed for a hug, for a kiss on the cheek, or any sign of human emotion. But still, after hours of searching and screaming around the grave, they were nowhere to be found.

Why had she come to this place? The answer escaped her by an inch, and she could no longer recall how long she had been playing. All she knew is that her parents would be back soon to pick her up. Wouldn’t they? There was no way they forgot about her, it was impossible for them to forget, wasn’t it?

And suddenly they appeared, standing over a gravestone, calling out for her. Their screams could be heard across the field, and a rush of emotion surged through the young girl’s spirit. Sprinting as fast as she could, all she could focus on was the two bright, florescent faces in front of her. They were far away, but as she got closer, she realized that their screams were not of joy or happiness. Their screams were of sorrow and hatred. Stopping dead in her tracks, the girl turned the other way, hot tears forming on the edges of her eyes. But she couldn’t bring herself to running away, so she turned around and continued to walk towards her parents, her soul in another place.

Reaching them, she tried to calm them and ease their pain. But as she started talking, both acted as if she were not there. Anger coursed through every vein in the little girl’s body, her hand turning into a swollen fist, even more tears streaming out of her eyes. She brought her clenched hand to the tall figure’s face, yet when she expected contact, she felt nothing but air. Sitting down, she remembered why she had come to the graveyard, and a feeling of sadness settled deep into her stomach.