As the dejected, sorrowful mother clung onto her daughter’s old blanket, she mourned the death of her as if there was no tomorrow. Her eldest daughter was trying to conceal her by rubbing her back. The mother buried her head into her hands and rocked back and forth, sobbing as she did so, the tears streaming down her face. What if she just listened? Would she still be here? The mother mourned the death of her youngest child as she continued to rock herself back and forth in the chair that stood in the corner of the dark and eerie bedroom, which belonged to her youngest daughter. The only sound that could be heard was the weeping noises coming out the mother’s mouth, and the sound of the eldest daughter’s hand rubbing against the fabric on her mother’s back.

It all started when Madison turned 16. She had the freedom to go anywhere and do anything she pleased with just a plastic card with her photo on it, and an old Volkswagen Beetle she bought with her own money. She was told to make good decisions, but of course, she was just like any other teenager. She ignored everything that came out of an adult’s mouth. Growing up, Madison was always considered the “good child” Then came high school. For the first two years, Madison did very well academically, but when her junior year came, Madison started slacking. Her Mother was slightly disappointed, however, she was understanding. Madison promised to do better, but things only got worse. She started hanging with Courtney, a mutual friend who she knew from around school. The two were sitting together in class, and they slowly started bonding. What Madison didn’t know was that Courtney was very manipulative and she always had some type of malicious intent.

  At home, Madison did things that were completely out of her norm, she barely spoke and kept inside of her room. When Madison’s mother and older sister noticed her pattern of skipping work and not speaking, they both confronted her, but of course, Madison just brushed them off and continued her pattern. It once got to the point where Madison’s mother confronted one of Madison’s best friends, Cameron. Madison’s mother was radiating with anger as she waved her finger around in Cameron’s face and completely told him to never hang with her daughter again. Of course, Cameron was both confused and shocked, but he did obey her orders.

As soon as school was over, Madison made a beeline to the student parking lot where Courtney stood waiting for her. Courtney gave her a sly smile, which Madison returned with a toothless one. “This is Evan, I hope you don’t mind if he rides with us today,” Courtney spoke while jabbing her thumb back at the boy who stood behind her. “Um… Sure?” Madison said unsurely as she watched Evan, who also offered her a sly smile. Madison had always been intuitive and she had this gut feeling that there was some type of malicious intent, but she just ignored it as they headed towards the entrance of a small diner. Once they got inside, Evan didn’t take one second before he rushed to the front counter with a small pocket knife in his hand, leaving Madison in shock, and Courtney to guard the door. It all happened in an instant, but to Madison, it happened in slow motion. She watched as the scrawny man behind the counter quickly retaliated by retrieving a 9mm from behind the counter. She let out a shaky breath as the man fired it without a second thought, unaware that it would be one of her last breaths. Evan quickly dodged the bullet, causing it to fly exactly where his head was. The bullet flew directly into Madison’s chest. She flew backward and her head landed at Courtney’s feet. Madison just laid there and thought of her mother and sister as everyone in the diner panicked. She couldn’t catch a breathing pattern causing everything within her to stop functioning. Madison had died in an instant.