The sky was crying. Overcast, dark, dull. It was in mourning, just as we all were.
Tears were pouring down as raindrops.
Standing by the grave, I thought back to the day before.

I had jolted awake by the iced water splashed on my face. My guilty little sister was standing beside me with a large empty bucket. It was very empty indeed because I was drenched!
“Good morning! Don’t you know what day it is, Marie?” little Elva called. Her pink jumpsuit had little areas of water from the fill up.
“Oh no! It slipped my mind. Was it something important? Could you bring me my calendar?” I winked at her and lifted her into my arms. “This is what you get for spilling water on me. A big, wet hug!”
“Oh Marie! Now I’m all soaked too!” She squealed and I set her to her feet.
“Happy birthday Munchkin.” I ruffled her hair. I had called her that since the day we watched the Wizard of Oz and she bared similar resemblance to all the wee munchkins. The name stuck.
“Let’s go! We have to get moving if we want to get there in time.” For being so little, she was always stressed about being late.
I rushed through, hastily preparing. She just sat and watched me rummage through the puny apartment, triple checking everything. I had the tickets, lunch, sunscreen, and everything else needed for a trip to the fair.
She grabbed my hand and dragged me down the stairs. Giggles were sent bouncing off the corridor. Her red stringy curls flying behind.
It was only a block away. Not a long walk, but faster at the rate she had! I had to be her legal guardian when she was three after our parents’ death, but she always seemed to lead me.
The fair was a special thing every year for Elva and I. Our parents had worked there a long, long time ago and it was in remembrance of them.
She began running ahead and then back, just like a puppy held to a leash.
“Hold your horses, Munchkin. It’ll still be there in a few seconds when we arrive”
“But then, someone could’ve taken our spot on the ride! Or maybe one of the animals was already shown. That would be a catastrophe.” I laughed and picked up my pace.
We were just reaching the fairgrounds and approached the ticket taker. I handed him ours. He looked down at Elva with a big smile,”Now is it a special day?”
“Well, only the most specialest day of the year!” she exclaimed,”My birthday and fair day.”
“Isn’t that lovely! How old are you?” He smiled down and winked.
She held up her little hand. “This many!”
“The whole hand! Oh my! You have a nice day Elva.” Everyone around the block knew my little sister. She was bold and flashy and with every stride made you wish no one would dent her happiness. She made you feel proud.
We started in on our annual adventure. “Can we go see the bunnies? Right over there?”
“Anything you want, Munch.” We started over to the first one, with the little rabbits inside. We walked through aisles of prized bunnies waiting to be judged. She founded her favorite named Fluffy who was, by far, the fastest one there!
I skipped over to the next tent, the chickens. Elva loved those. One tiny chick, set out from the rest, found liking to her and began to nestle against her. She patted it and smiled that smile that made you think she was truly an angel from heaven.
“And what would you name that one?”
“Lemons. It’s the most easy thing. Look at its feathers! The sure color of lemons.”
“Oh my. How did I not know that?” She giggled as her eyes sparkled. She held Lemons in her arms and it seemed to be smiling up at her which brought back her loveliest, toothy smile that could, as John Green says it, “end wars and cure cancer.”
Everything from there on out blurred. My surroundings faded in and out.
I looked ahead of me as a black car came tumbling into the tent crashing against millions of little chickens. A tall dark haired man exited and fired randomly. The shots burned my ears. I took Elva and threw her to the ground and covering her with myself as people screamed and footsteps quickened. I covered her not letting her be seen or touched.
Someone was emerging from the car. I watched carefully, wanting not to be seen. The driver took the gun and shot himself dead. His body crumpled to the ground. I screamed. That coward. He took her innocent life but couldn’t seem to face her?
“Elva, are you alright?” I rolled off of her. Tears were swarming my eyes as I saw my dearest little darling had been shot in the stomach. I hadn’t even noticed it. Her eyes were slightly closed, but she looked like she was coming around. “No. No. Munchkin stay with me. We need a doctor! My sister is hurt.”
“They’re on their way, miss,” the ticket collector reassured while rushing to my assistance. “We need to stop the blood.” He took off his light flannel and tied it around her thin little body. So much blood. It didn’t seemed to end, but just kept pouring. My swee, little baby was in pain and there was nothing I could do.
“Elva! Can you hear me? She isn’t responding. Munchkin! Talk to me, please.” Her delicate eyes opened slightly. I smiled.
“Marie, are we still at the fair?”
“Yes, honey. We are still at the fair. Help is on the way.” She smiled at me.
“Marie, it hurts. Why does it hurt?”
“There’s nothing I can do. If there was, it’d be done.”
“Could you, sing to me? The one mom sang?”
I giggled slightly,“Elva, anything for you.” I began to sing White Coral Bells. It was always her favorite, I knew, but it sounded terrible as I was sniffling along. “White coral bells upon a slender stalk. Lilies of the valley deck my garden walk. Oh how I wish that I could hear them ring. That will happen only when the elves all sing.” A tear fell from my face onto hers.
“Marie?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you crying? It’s such a great day.”
“You are right. Look at the sun, it almost smiles as big as you.” She giggled, but gasped as her breaths were growing shorter.
“Marie?” she was lunging for air. “Do you think that Fluffy will win?”
“I indeed do.” She smiled her unique smile one last time. I was the last to see it. Her big blue eyes closed and she was swept off into eternal slumber. “Goodbye Munchkin. May heaven not take your smiles slightly, but as a gift.” I laid a kiss on her forehead, and took her into my arms. I rocked her, the tears really going now.
My poor darling. Her life taken too quick. Did that man know what he was taking from me?

I came back to reality, and looked down into her casket. Her smile wasn’t the same, but there was nothing I could do. She was gone. I was gone. I was left empty handed again.
Practically the whole town was silenced around her grave, even with the soggy weather. No one was wearing black, though. Colors were bolded throughout the crowd, just as she would’ve liked. I was drenched, just as I had the morning before, but I could barely tell. Most of it was from tears anyways.
They lowered her down, right next door to my mother and father. I began to sing. White Coral Bells one last time. Everyone sang along. It started soft and then grew. Louder and louder. They all stopped as I sang it one last time.
Each person threw pink flower petals into her resting place. The last person was the ticket collector. He reached out and embraced me, whispering in my ear, ”Fluffy won.” I laughed. She would’ve wanted me to be happy at her funeral.
But I couldn’t. My parents were long gone, and my beloved was dead. I walked over to the grave diggers. “You better not put your shovels away. I’m going under too.”