The Day You Went Away | Teen Ink

The Day You Went Away

November 5, 2012
By MarieAntoinette2014 DIAMOND, Scottsburg, Indiana
MarieAntoinette2014 DIAMOND, Scottsburg, Indiana
54 articles 2 photos 237 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isn't it ironic? We ignore the ones who adore us, adore the ones who ignore us, love the ones who hurt us, and hurt the ones that love us.


"Bradley died."
Died.
Dead.
No breath in your lungs,
no beating of your heart.
No electricity in your body.
Dead.

I wanted to cry,
the tears wouldn't come.
I wanted to scream.
My voice was to weak.
Cold.
You were always cold.
Are you cold now, Brad?

I remember the last time I saw you,
You were weary,
so weary.
More weary than any 25 year old,
ever had the right to be.
You didn't smile,
but once.

"Oh my god.
You've grown."
Like it never occurred to you,
that all the times,
you were gone,
and I was waiting,
I was growing.
You smiled then sadly at me.

I wish I could say,
Your smile spoke volumes.
It said everything.
wishing things had never changed,
Wishing I was five,
and you were seventeen again.
You could revoke the drugs you'd taken.
But it didn't.
It looked just as withered as your body,
as blank as the look in your eyes.

I guess the reason the tears wouldn't come that day,
is because in the end,
the Bradley of my past,
the one who helped me cut my hair when Mom wasn't looking,
the one who made foam puppets,
was long dead in my mind.
You were dead to me,
when you left for that last time.

The hopeless longing you'd come back,
went away.
Unfortunately,
we'll never get a chance to fix this.

...I miss you,
I'd never admit it Brad.
It's odd really.
I never called you that when you were alive.
Only in death, almost like I view you as a different person.
Maybe I do.
God, I miss you.

By the way, that picture,
the one you gave our grandparents,
it's on my dresser.
You were so cute.

Love,
Brit


The author's comments:
This is for my cousin. He died in 2010, but it still hurts. He was an addict and we aren't too sure of what happened, but he was in a car wreck. He went home, went to sleep and never woke up. We think he was high and blacked out at the wheel. We know he died from hemorrhaging to the brain.

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This article has 4 comments.


on Dec. 15 2014 at 10:35 am
MarieAntoinette2014 DIAMOND, Scottsburg, Indiana
54 articles 2 photos 237 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isn't it ironic? We ignore the ones who adore us, adore the ones who ignore us, love the ones who hurt us, and hurt the ones that love us.

Wow thanks! I wish I wasn't so fast paced though. Makes writing long stories really hard!!!!

on Aug. 26 2014 at 12:05 am
CelebrateDifferences, Long Island, New York
0 articles 0 photos 71 comments

Favorite Quote:
“Gods of Olympus.” Piper stared at Leo. “What happened to you?”
His hair was greased back. He had welding goggles on his forehead, a lipstick mark on his cheek, tattoos all over his arms, and a T-shirt that read HOT STUFF, BAD BOY, and TEAM LEO.
“Long story,” he said.”

The words are so touching and the imagery is to the point. Clearly you have a talent for conveying stories with vivid details and fast-paced personfication.

on Jan. 7 2013 at 11:03 am
MarieAntoinette2014 DIAMOND, Scottsburg, Indiana
54 articles 2 photos 237 comments

Favorite Quote:
Isn't it ironic? We ignore the ones who adore us, adore the ones who ignore us, love the ones who hurt us, and hurt the ones that love us.

Thank you very much.  It's been a few years and everythings starting to balance out, so I don't think about him quite so much anymore. But I still miss him and I imagine I always will. I appreciate the thought, and thank you for commenting.

KylieK GOLD said...
on Jan. 3 2013 at 12:19 pm
KylieK GOLD, Mt. Washington, Kentucky
11 articles 0 photos 270 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To love is to surpass one's self."

You captured the emotion very well. The memories you strung along with it were right on que, just when the reader needed a connection to satisfy the mystery of who Bradley was.   I'm so sorry for your loss. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm absolutely here.