Chapter XXXIX: Grief

Grief is not spontaneous or random.

It's the smallest things which set it off: the reminiscing of the past, minor similarities between the deceased and a stranger, or just an old face which reminds you of them.

It's always the smallest things which have the biggest impact.

You feel your heartache like someone is squeezing it from inside your chest, your entire face gets warm, and your stomach drops to your feet; you are unable to stand right because you feel light-headed and your knees are shaking. Your hand trembles and your head pounds. A lump forms in your throat, your vision blurs as the tears spring forth and the next thing you know, you're crying because of how much their presence meant to you, because you see that look on the faces of the people around you, and you can see how lifeless their eyes look, how much pain they are in by the monotony of their features, and it hurts, knowing