Beyond Death Read Online Free PDF Page A

before her time and now only able to watch those she loved live life to the full instead of living it with them.
     
    Her parents arrived shortly after. Claire barely recognized her mother who had aged considerably since she last saw her. They both wanted to see their daughter’s body but the twins advised against it.
    ‘You don’t want this to be the final memory of her,’ said Jim, trying his best not to break down in front of everyone. The twins had vowed to be strong for the sake of their parents but were finding it difficult, especially as Tash hadn’t stopped bawling and the noise was beginning to grate on everyone’s nerves.
    Graham, Claire’s father, reached for his wife’s hand but Marion ignored him and instead nodded to the mortuary attendant.
    ‘This way please,’ said the man in the white coat and walked through the door ahead of them. Marion took a deep breath as the cover was removed to expose her daughter’s face. Her worst nightmares were confirmed. She looked at the broken body of her daughter. This was all wrong thought Marion wondering why nature had been reversed. Parents weren’t meant to outlive their offspring.
    ‘I’ve lost my daughter.’ Marion muttered.
    ‘Me too.’ Graham tried to hold her but Marion was inconsolable and refused the contact.
    ‘My only girl, my baby.’ She shuddered then sobs wracked her whole body.
    He tried again but his wife refused his attempts at physical contact. Graham stood with his arms by his side and his chin resting on his chest, staring at the face of his little princess. For once in his life he didn’t know what to do. How could it be that his daughter had been taken away from them all on what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life? And why wouldn’t Marion let them comfort each other? He stopped thinking and looked at what used to be his daughter. He allowed the numbness to take over, in an attempt to mask the great big hole that he felt spreading throughout his entire body.
    Outside in the waiting area Tash was still crying and Jay sitting down hugging himself. Tony entered the room and told his parents it was time to leave. They both followed him out like zombies on a cheap B Movie and Jay stood up as they came out. No words were exchanged between Jay and Claire’s parents. They didn’t know each other very well and Jay felt unable to offer Marion any physical comfort as she walked directly to the exit, still ignoring her husband and everyone else around her. Graham gripped the top of Jay’s right arm and the two men looked at each other in painful understanding of what they’d lost. Graham pulled Jay into his arms and gave him a tight bear hug. Even under the circumstances the twins were amazed as their father was a typical old-fashioned Yorkshire man who very rarely showed any emotion. The men separated and tears slowly trickled down Jay’s face. Having watched his wife shuffle out of the door and seeing the distraught youngsters in the room something clicked inside Graham. He came out of his trance and went onto autopilot. He held Jay at arms length and looked into his eyes.
    ‘Be strong, son,’ he said. ‘I’ll call you about the arrangements after the post mortem.’ He turned to the twins. ‘Do what you have to do today and then come home. Your mother needs you.’ Graham put a hand on Tash’s shoulder and she looked up at him and managed a weak smile. If Claire’s father could be strong the least she could do was try. Graham followed his wife out of the door, knowing that his family was broken and that he was the one who had to hold it together for all their sakes. What he didn’t know was that his safe, hidden secret was already out and his daughter’s death was the catalyst that would cause his own life to implode.
    *****
    So this was it then. Life as she knew it was over. Her family had actually loved her after all and because she was dead, yes dead, they were all suffering and there was not a thing she