Fear

"What are you afraid of?" I asked Morgan.

"I'm not afraid of anything." she answered back, staring at me with startling green eyes.

"That's not true." I told her.

"Yes everybody has a fear. A fear is something that you keep secret, something that you keep to yourself. A fear is something that you try to avoid, but I don't."

Why did you try to avoid it?

Some fears aren't meant to be kept locked away.

I remember it clearly. I remember that whole night so clearly. I can remember every breath I took, every movement I made, and every thing that I had said.

A dark night sky had taken over the whole world, blocking out everything. It was like the Earth was immersed in nothing but darkness. Thunder came rolling in slowly but surely. I had gone to the window, staring back out at the rain. The rain was coming down in waterfalls, so heavy that I heard the splashing on the ground reach my ears. Suddenly, lightning illuminated the sky, lifting the darkness even if for only a second.

"Wouldn't it be nice to live forever Lizzy?" Morgan said, coming up from behind me and wrapping her arms loosely around my neck. "Live forever in a world where there are no worries, no responsibilities, no suffering, no war. No anything. Just everlasting life and happiness." I didn't understand my older sister then, but before I can ask, she kissed me lightly on the head, and whispered in my ear. "Tell mom I love her." She hugged me one last time, and went to the stairs. Puzzled but curious, I followed her.

Morgan went into her room, and closed the door, not realizing I was there. I opened the door a crack, and watch her scribble something down on a piece of paper. She folded it up, and placed it on her bureau. Taking a deep breath, she opened her window. I thought she was crazy, but then I saw her climb outside.

What is she doing? I thought to myself. I opened the door wider, and walked inside. I waited. After two minutes, I went over to the window and looked outside. The rain was coming down even harder, and I squinted, looking for Morgan. Lightning once again, lighting up the sky and giving me a second of escape from darkness.

I saw her then. She was standing on the peak of the roof, where it ended and met air. The tips of her sneakers were hanging off the edge, and she had her arms open towards the sky. Her head was back, her eyes closed, and the rain running down her face and neck. She brought down her hands and faced the ground below her.

"Morgan," I called from my perch on the windowsill. "No!"

But it was too late. As the next lightning flashed, she stepped off the roof, falling gracefully to the ground below. The thunder rumbled as her body met the cold wet earth below.

I sat in a daze for several moments. Why? I thought to myself. Why did she do it? She had the perfect life. Mom was in it, I was in it...

That's when I remembered the piece of paper she scribbled on. I climbed back into the room, and slowly walked over to the bureau, where it sat, mocking me. I have a secret, it said. Read it.

No, I was not afraid. I picked up the piece of paper, and opened it. Five words were written on it, in my sister's neat handwritting.

I'm not afraid of anything.