DEATH

She approached the unfamiliar door and nervously took the key from her pocket. She took a deep breath, unlocked the door, paused, then opened it. To her horror she saw her mother lying motionless on the floor.

She paused, tears forming pools in the rim of her eyes. She said to herself that nothing bad has happened, over and over again.

At last her feet started moving forward, though shaking, she pressed on.

She knelt down beside her mother and felt a tear escape. She clenched her fists to calm herself and very slowly reached out to touch her mother.

It was cold. Terrifyingly cold.

"Mom?" she said, her voice barely audible.

"Mom?" she said again, louder this time.

She was met with no response. Fear laced her whole being. Fear of losing her only support in life. Fear that she would go from then on hungry, homeless and alone. Fear of the unknown.

"Mom!" she shouted with all her might. She shook her rather harshly. But her mom remained unmoving.

Her mom was dead.

Suddenly, she felt numb all over. Tears stopped falling and her hands held still on her mother's cold arms. Her mind went blank. She sat there unmoving, like her mother was. She wished to become like her, silent and unmoving. Dead and cold.

She felt hands grabbing her. She faintly heard the sound of sirens and people shouting. But she didn't care. All she cared about was to accompany her mother forever and ever, even through the depths of hell.

The gun on the man's hip was her answer.