The Sound of Silence

**Epilogue**

The next morning, Mira's body was found by her mother in the bathtub. When the police got there, they questioned Mira's mother; they were surprised that she wasn't crying or seemed upset at all, almost as if she didn't care. She called her ex-husband later that day and told him the news; he was in denial.

When Helena heard the news, she thought her mother was joking, knowing that she had a sick sense of humor; and she went to pick up her kids, who looked confused about all that was going on. When Helena asked where Mira was, her mother yelled at her to not bring up Mira ever again.

At that moment, Mira's friends were outside; they had seen the police cars drive up to the mansion and they wanted to see what was going on. Rather anxious, they waited. When Mira's bloody body was brought out, Harley screamed and tried to grab onto her, but Andrew held her back, crying. Harley's energy never left, but at that moment, all of her energy seemed to leak out of her; she sank to her knees and sobbed,

"Mira! Mira...!"

Taylor was in shock; her entire world was gone. The look on her face displayed it all.

Andrew held Harley close and tried to quiet her, but cried for his best friend to come back and say it was all a joke and that she would never do it again; but deep down, he knew the truth.

Carmin let the tears fall the moment he saw Mira; small, bloodied, but beautiful. last night, Carmin caught Selia cheating on him and he broke up with her; but he was happy that he broke up with her; their relationship just wasn't working out like he had hoped. But now, all of his hope was gone. The girl that he threw away, was gone. And he loathed himself for throwing her away like a cheap doll. He then sank to his knees and screamed. That was all he could do; he never felt his heart shatter like it did now, and he wished that he would have died instead of Mira.

The other neighbors outside felt pity on them for what they had to see, and the news spread like wildfire, the daughter of a famous lawyer is dead.

The day before Mira's funeral, the police got another call about a suicide. This time, it was Harley; she had shot herself in the head. Her mother was gone out of state at that time, so the police notified her immediately. Right at that time, Taylor, Andrew, and Carmin came by to console her but the police cars outside the doors and the body being brought out said it all. All three of them held each other and cried; now their second friend was gone, the energy of the group would never come back.

The day after Mira's funeral, Taylor overdosed. Carmin and Andrew could hardly feel any emotion anymore.

The next day, Andrew swallowed poisonous liquid while he was in the bathroom of a night club. Now, Carmin was left alone.

At the top floor of the state building at midnight, he could go home since his shift was over; he didn't leave. Instead, he thought about his only friends who were now dead, only to be left as memories. But one he could not get out of his head was Mira. 

Looking up at the sky, he saw many stars shining, it reminded him of something.

"That almost looks like your painting, Mira...You were the best artist I've seen. You were...beautiful...If you can see me now, I hope you can forgive me for the way I treated you...Y-you taught me so much, I remember all our conversations...You taught me how to laugh, how to not give up, even how to love. I didn't see it back then b-but now...You needed someone there for you, and I didn't keep my promise to you..."

Tears started to flow from his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for not seeing your strength! I'm sorry for not being a good friend to you when you were the greatest!"

He put his head down, breathing heavily, trying not to sob. Slowly, he looked up slightly and saw the whole city before him.

"Mira, look at the neon gods they've all made..."

She stayed glued in his mind, haunting him. He put his hands in his hair and screamed to himself,

"What is wrong with you?!"

Glimpses of Mira flashed in his mind. Her smile, her laugh, her onyx hair, her electric blue eyes. Her bloody body being hauled out of the mansion.

Carmin stepped onto the railing and opened his arms like an eagle.

"I'll join you."

He jumped. The last of the group to fall. 

Those few days were described by the city's citizens as suicide days, and they never understood why the deaths were so close together. 

Some said it was a suicide pact.

Others said it was coincidence.

Few say it was because of the domino effect heartbreak among a group of close people.

Either way, no one alive knew the story, only those who died knew the motive behind Mira's demise, like an ending to Sleeping Beauty which the princess only woke up to death's kiss.

Never was there a darker fairy tale than the fate of Mira, and the people she cared about the most.