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shadowsage84

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Its been one year since Chris' death. Briana has not been the same since he died. The night after she found out he was killed she tried to commit suicide. She went into her mother's medicine cabinet and took her pain pills and muscle relaxers. She thought she had taken enough to do the job. She left her mom a note explaining that she just could not go on living knowing that Chris would never be here to hold her again. She told her mom that she loved her, but it was just too painful. The next thing Briana knew, she was waking up in a hospital room. She had black stuff down the front of the gown she was wearing. She looked over and her mom was there in a chair asleep.
"Mom," she said hoarsly.
"Oh baby. You're okay. Thank the Lord!"
"What happened? What am I doing here?"
"A couple of nights ago you tried to kill yourself. Thank God I came in and checked on you before I went to bed. I found my pills on your desk along with the note. I called for an ambulance. I told them you were not breathing. They told me to give you mouth to mouth. I got you breathing, but only just. They got there very fast and put you straight into the ambulance. I gave them the pill bottles and told them how much you had taken. They told me if I had not found you when I did that you would be gone."
Cyndi started to cry.
"Then why didnt you just let me go? I wanted to die. Dont you understand? I dont want to be here anymore. What do I have to live for?"
"You Briana. You have you to live for. This is not what Chris would have wanted. He wouldnt want you to end your life because he is gone. He would want you to live to your fullest extent."
"How mom," she asked between sobs. "How can I do that without him here with me?"
"You find a way. You find a way to find peace with yourself and with what happened."
"He was taken from me mom! By a stupid asshole that decided to drink and drive! Taken because someone made a stupid choice. The hardest part about all of it, that asshole walked away with no more than a bump on his fucking head! I just want him back mom."
Briana began to cry uncontrollably. A nurse came in with a sedative and she went to sleep.
She was put into a mental institution shortly after. The psychiatrist that invaluated her determined that she needed more help then that particular hospital could offer. He was certain that she would most surely try to kill herself again if they released her.
She would be in there for six months before she was ready to go home.

One year later she was doing a little better. But today would be a big test of her character. Today was the day that the trial began. The trial against the man that killed the man she wanted to spend her life with. She found out that his name was Jesse Brown. He had been driving with a suspended liscense. Not to mention the fact that he was almost 4 times over the legal limit. Briana had kept in touch with Chris' mom. Diane had even come to visit her a few times while she was in the hospital, but neither one of them talked much. They just cried. This was the first time Briana had seen Diane is almost 3 months. The minute she saw her she almost broke down in tears. She ran up to Diane and gave her a big hug.
"How are you holding up Diane?"
"I am taking it day by day. Its still very hard. I need you to come and sit with me for a minute. I have a few things I need to tell you that I just couldnt tell you before."
"What is it?" Briana was looking a little confused.
"The night that Chris was killed. I had pulled him from the car because it had caught on fire. I held him in my arms as I dialed the police. They told me that an ambulance was on its way. He must of known he was not going to make it. He told me to tell you that he loved you very much. He said that he knew you were going to be upset, but that he wanted you to know that he would always be looking down on you." Diane had to pause to regain some of her composure. Briana was looking at her with tear filled eyes as she continued. "He said that there was something in his bedroom that he did not want me to get. He wanted you to get it. He said it was something that he had saved for you. He said it is in a box under his bed. That the box is locked and the key is in his top drawer on his bedside table. He didnt tell me what it was, only that he wanted you to have it.  He started to cry and he grew cold. He told me that you would want to know what he went through his last moments. He said that when you were ready to know that I would know. I think that you are ready. He told me again to tell you just how much he loved you and that he was sorry he had to go. Then he was gone." Diane began to cry and Briana took her in and hugged her. Briana was also crying. After a few minutes they broke apart. Briana looked at Diane from behind the tears.
"Thank you so much Diane. I have wondered what happened during his last moments, if he was scared, in pain, or if it was quick. I was so scared to ask you not wanting to bring back such a terrible memory. I just want you to know that I loved Chris very much. I love him still. I still cant believe hes gone. But I am glad that you're still here. Will it be okay if I leave here with you and see what he left for me?"
"Absolutely. Thank you Briana. Thank you for loving my son. Thank you for being here, for staying with us."
With that they entered the court room. It was time for the trial to begin. The judge came in and everyone was seated. Briana saw for the first time the man that took Chris from them. He was scruffy looking. He didnt show any emotions at all. He was in an orange jumpsuit with handcuffs still on. The judge asked him to rise and asked him how he plead. She read off the charges.
"Mr. Brown. You have been charged with 2nd degree murder, driving with a suspended liscense and possession of a concealed weapon. How do you plead?"
He looked over at Briana her mom and Diane. It almost looked as though he had a smile on his face.
"Guilty your Honor."
"Please take note that the defendant has pleaded guilty and as not to draw this out any more than it has to be I will pass down sentence now. But before I do there is something that I want to say to you first Mr. Brown. You have broken the law more times than I can count. I know I have personally seen you in my court room more times than I like. You have hurt a great many people, but you have now taken a life because of your careless actions. That is something that you can never take back and something that you will always have to live with. Fortunately for you, you are going to have a lifetime to think about your actions. This Mr. Brown is your third strike. You are out of strikes and out of options." She looked up and saw that there was a hand raised in the courtroom. She looked and saw that the hand belonged to Briana. She had looked the case file over before beginning the preceedings. "Yes Briana, is there something you would like to say?"
"If I may your Honor?"  She nodded her head and had motioned her to the front of the courtroom. "My name is Briana. Chris was my boyfriend of 3 years. I know I am only 18 now, but I was very much in love with him. He was a kind man that never hurt anyone his whole life. He was giving. He helped anyone that needed it. He never acted out of anger, only love. He was only 17 when you took him from us. I hope you spend the rest of your life regretting the choice that you made that night. Two years ago I almost lost my two best friends to someone like you. Someone that chose to drink and drive. Someone that put their life ahead of everyone elses. Chris never did that. He always put everyone ahead of himself. You took him from us. You took him from me. I would wish you dead, but that would be the easy way out for you. I want you to remember every day the man that you took from this earth because you chose to drink and drive."
With her last words spoken she took her seat."
"Thank you Briana. Mr. Brown I sentence you to live in prison without the possiblitly of parole. In addition you are also sentence to 5 years for driving with a suspended liscense and an additional 5 years for possession of a concealed weapon. Mr. Brown, I have made it impossible for you to ever walk free again. Impossible for you to endanger the life of another innocent human being. I hope you take Briana's words to heart and truly think about what you have taken away. You may take him now. Diane and Briana. I cant bring your son back and I cant bring the love of your life back, but I hope this brings you a little peace and closure. I hope that one day someone, somewhere will learn from instances like this. Good luck to you all."
The courtroom emptied. Briana and Diane could do nothing but hold each other and cry. It was over and the man that took Chris from them would never be free again. They felt a presence with them that day. They both knew it was Chris. Briana hugged her mom and told her that she was going with Diane and that she would be home later that night. Maybe the next morning. Still crying they headed towards Diane's car and started to drive.

They drove to the grave yard where Chris was buried. They had gone by and gotten some flowers. Briana kneeled by his grave, tears streaming down her face. Hes locked away Chris. He will never be free again. It doesnt bring you back but I hope it helps bring you peace. She laid the flowers at the edge of his headstone. It read 'loving son, loving boyfriend' "Briana I love you forever." His mom had that added because of what he told her the night he died. She knew that he would want to have that on there. Briana cried the first time she saw it. She cried again when she saw it again. She hugged Diane and they both stood up to leave. Diane was walking ahead of her. Briana looked back and by his headstone she saw him. He was standing there with that big smile on his face. Those big blue eyes and that dirty blonde hair. "I love you Bri. I always will. I will always be here if you need me." She smiled and said, "I love you too Chris." She turned around and walked away.
They reaced Diane's house and walked inside. Briana started up the stairs towards Chris' room. She opened the door. It remained untouched. Diane refused to change the room. She never would. She looked under his bed and there was a black lock box. Not very big but big enough to hold a few things. She picked it up, it wasn't very heavy. She looked in his top drawer and found the key. She unlocked the box and immiately began to cry. There in the box was his first tie he ever wore to their first dance. There were a few letters that she had written him over the years. In the corner was a small grey box with a letter underneath it. She took the letter and opened it. It read:

My dearest Bri,
You know how much I love you. I love you more than words could ever express. I know we are still young, but I just cant picture my life without you. You complete me in every way that a person can be completed. You fill my life with happiness. Every time I see you I get butterflies. I know you are the one for me Bri. I know that we are meant to be. You are my soulmate. You are the woman I love. You are beautiful inside and out. I love everything about you. Your eyes are the most gorgious blue. I look in them and I see your soul. I love you so much Bri. Will you marry me?

The letter was not long, but she began to sob. She opened the box and in it was the perfect ring. It was a glod band with small diamond inlays. She slid it onto her hand. It fit perfectly. She got up and went to the window. She looked up at the sky and thought:
Oh Chris. What am I going to do without you? I love you so much. Why did you have to leave me? I love you Chris and my answer would have been yes.
She closed the box and took it downstairs. She showed it to Diane and they cried again. They spent the rest of the night talking about Chris and old times. They both wondered how Jonathan and April were doing. They both moved away shortly after Chris' death. Too much tragedy had hit them all the past 3 years. Briana wondered how she would ever move on.