Dani, now at 19, discovers the true meaning of death. She watches as her mother's coffin is lowered, slowly, and carefully, into the empty pit of abyss. Her brother, Dale, stands beside her to her right, Spike, her best friend, to the left. All eyes stare as the grave is being covered with dirt and mud.

Once the gravestone is placed, marked; Lilia Wellington 1825 - 1871; the crowd begins to scatter. The world continues to spin no matter whose life has ended. Dale turns to his younger sister; his expression is sympathetic. She has known her longer; the pain would be hardest on her.

"I'm sorry, Dani," he says then is off to continue his life just as the others had. Only she and Spike stand at the grave site now. Spike places his hand on her shoulder as he looks at her with his gray eyes. She looks back to him, having to tilt her neck because of height differences. His beautiful blue eyes lost their luster in this cloudy morning. Winter is approaching, they both knew it.

They then turned their backs to leave. Dani, taking one last glance, sighs as they enter the town, now unfamiliar with its missing piece.

Once they enter their small, wooden home. Dani sneezes.

"Darn this weather!" she screams attempting not to sneeze again. The feeling is there and it is annoying as can be.

"It's just the beginning too. Fall has just ended; it's almost the end of November. The time of celebrating is arriving soon," Spike tries to ease the tension.

Dani walks over to the fire they had started earlier that morning. Her home is tidy. Only two rooms, but it is enough. A table, three chairs, Lord knows who the third one is for since Spike lives elsewhere, some cabinets, a rug by the fire and a separate bedroom. Spike sits down next to her. The past week had been hard. Diseases are spreading like wildfire and many people are dying. It is not uncommon to have a funeral once a week. It is depressing.

"Some celebrating this is. If only she could've made it through the winter; you know we might have been able to save her if it was summer!" Dani tries not to cry. She has known for years that her mother was sick. Death is inevitable. Especially nowadays.