Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognise, you know who does!

This story is based on something that happened when I was almost 11,my neighbour and my cousin both died from meningitis, within weeks of each other. This year marks the tenth since they died, and it still feels surreal.

The location is based on mine because it needed the beach!

Prue 18
Piper 15
Phoebe 12

The last bell finally rang. Phoebe rushed out the door before her teacher could call her back for messing all day. She just wasn’t in the mood to be stuck inside. Her mind had been anywhere but on school. She waited outside to meet up with her friends. For three hours, they played roller blade hockey in the park. Phoebe hadn’t even realised the time racing by, and now she had to go home and face Prue and Piper, having not even informed them of her plans. Grams took it for granted that Phoebe would go to the park every Friday, but Prue expected her to call, or come home and tell them first.

As soon as she pushed the front door open, Phoebe could sense the tension. She tried to sneak up the stairs without being noticed but a tearful Piper greeted her on the landing.
“Phoebe, where have you been all day?”
“The park, Piper what’s wrong”
“Prue needs to talk to you”
“Did I do something, why are you crying?” Phoebe kept throwing questions at her sister as she led her in to the kitchen where the oldest also looked upset. “Prue?”
“Oh god Phoebe, you should have come straight home”
“I’m sorry, I forgot” Phoebe knew something was wrong, she was shaking, afraid of what she was going to be told.
“Pheebs, lets go sit down” Prue pointed Phoebe in the direction of the living room, Piper remained in the kitchen. “Do you want to sit on my lap?”
“Prue I haven’t done that in years, when are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
The oldest took a deep breath, “Phoebe you know how Erin wasn’t in school today?”
“Yes, but how did you know?”
“Her mom called Phoebe, Erin’s in the hospital” Phoebe’s face went white with worry for her friend,
“What’s up with her?”
“Sweetie she has meningitis” Prue knew her little sister understood what this was
“But she’s ok, right?”
“I don’t know, baby, no one knows”
“Can, can I see her” Prue shook her head regretfully
“Phoebe she’s on a life support machine, she might not wake up” the realisation registered on the youngests face, she started to tremble, unable to face the prospect of life without her best friend. “She, She’ll, wake, up” Her words held more confidence than the voice which spoke them, she wasn’t able to control her shaking. Prue moved over beside her, wrapped her in her arms, and just held her as she absorbed the information.

That night, Phoebe lay in bed staring at the ceiling, she was terrified of losing Erin, and she was terrified of the illness. The school had educated them about the symptoms of meningitis after two teenagers from a nearby area had contracted it and died. Prue knew her sister would still be awake so she went in to talk to her. Phoebe’s bed was empty so she made her way to Piper’s room. Phoebe was crying, as Piper just held her.
“I, I can’t lose her, she won’t die, will she?”
“Phoebe” Prue rubbed her sister’s back, “Come here” Phoebe allowed Prue to pick her up, she buried her head in her sister’s shoulder, crying for her friend. “I need to see her Prue, please”
“Ok, I’ll take you down there tomorrow,”
“Thanks” Phoebe had calmed down, so Prue tucked her into bed beside Piper and sat with them until the youngest fell asleep.
“Prue” Piper whispered, careful, so as to not wake Phoebe “Are you sure it’s a good idea for her to see Erin like that?”
“I don’t know Pipe, but it’s something she wants to do”
“She’s too young to go through that Prue”
“So’s Erin Piper, but she’s the one lying unconscious in a hospital bed. She’s Phoebe’s best friend, and I know if it was my friend who was in that position, I’d never accept no as an answer”
“I guess you’re right, should we call Grams?”
“No, let her enjoy her holiday, we can take care of Phoebe” Prue kissed
Piper goodnight, and turned of the light as she left the room.

The next morning, after Prue attempted to prepare Phoebe for what to expect, the pair made their way through the long winding corridors in the hospital. They paused outside Erin’s room; Prue spoke to her distraught mother and father. Phoebe spotted Daragh, Erin’s younger brother sitting, silently on a chair off to the side.
“Hi Daragh”
“Phoebe” The seven yr old held out his arms to the one person who reminded him of his sister. Phoebe picked him up, knowing his heart was crushed.
“Phoebe Erin’s sick, mommy won’t let me see her”
“I know kiddo,”
“Are you allowed to see her?”
“I think so, I’ll talk to you mom and ask her to let you go in”

Phoebe returned to Prue’s side, she took her hand, something that was out of character for her to do. Prue gave Phoebe’s hand a gentle reassuring squeeze
“Ok sweetie, we can go in now,”
Phoebe took in the scene in the intensive care area. There were tubes connected to Erin’s body, on her chest and her nose and throat. She watched the steady rise and fall of her friend’s chest.
“Prue” Phoebe’s voice was barely coherent “it, it doesn’t look like her”
“She’s very sick, baby”
“She’s going to die, isn’t she?” Phoebe used all her strength to stay strong as her sister nodded sympathetically. She pulled away from Prue, and sat beside her friend, making the most of the last opportunity she’d ever have to talk to the best friend in the world.
Prue watched, wishing she could shield Phoebe from these emotions, wishing her twelve year old sister could be out playing, not worrying about losing a friend at such a young age. Phoebe sat with Erin for an hour, talking to her about everything, promising her she’d look out for Daragh, promising she’d never have another friend like her, that their friendship couldn’t be replaced or recreated.

Phoebe spoke with Daragh’s parents, persuading them to let him say good-bye.

The next day, the phone rang loudly in the manor. Prue answered it reluctantly. Phoebe and Piper knew by her face that it was over; Erin was gone from this world forever. Piper was already crying, but Phoebe took of, out the door, running as far and as fast as she could unwilling to face the reality of the situation. She scrambled onto the beach, and around to the back of the harbour. Among the rocks that stretched along the coast was a hideout, only known about by Phoebe and Erin. Eventually Phoebe managed to dodge the incoming tide to climb up to the ledge. She sat there unaware of the passing hours, memories shared with her friend monopolising her thoughts.

She reminisced about their first day in school, when Erin cried and Phoebe hugged her, when a normally shy Erin slapped the teacher across the face because she refused to let her go home with her mommy. She thought about all the summers they spent, swimming in the ocean, building sandcastles, cycling, and as soon as they were old enough, exploring the area. It had been four years since they’d found the ledge Phoebe sat on now. It was well hidden, but together they cleared a space, invisible to anyone who lacked the knowledge of its whereabouts. Phoebe laughed as she remembered all the times they hid there and listened to the other kids passing below, any time they played hide and seek, this is where they came, needless to say they never lost. Phoebe suddenly remembered something, a box they had buried when they were just 9 years old. She dug vigorously in the spot and finally found the treasure they’d wrapped neatly in a plastic bag. She opened it, and out poured the letters they wrote to each other and to the members of their families. Phoebe read through them. She hadn’t noticed the nightfall around her and was oblivious to the warm tears streaming down her cheeks. Eventually she picked herself up from the dirty ground. Gathering the contents of the box, she climbed down from the ledge one final time.

Prue and Piper were frantic, they’d given Phoebe time, knowing better than to follow her, but after a few hours their concern had grown. Having called all her friends, and searched the beach, park, and woods for their sister they’d returned to the warmth of the house to wait. Relief washed over them as they heard the familiar sound of Phoebe running up the steps, but Phoebe ignored them and ran straight to her bedroom, locking herself in and them out. Once again she read the letters, deciding then and there to give them to Erin’s grief stricken parents. She knew this is what Erin would have wanted.

“Prue” Phoebe exited the comfort of her room; she wanted to deliver the letters
“Phoebe, are you ok?” Phoebe shook her head, afraid to let the tears escape
“I need to go out again”
“Phoebe, it’s the middle of the night”
“I won’t be long, I promise”
“Where are you going”
“I need to do something, please Prue it’s important”
“Phoebe be careful, do not make me regret this”
“Thanks” Phoebe put on her jacket and slowly made her way up the road to a house she referred to as her second home. Erin’s mother answered the door, her face stained with tears, her eyes blank and distant.
“Umm Hi Mrs. Walsh” Phoebe had always called her by her first name, but under the circumstances it just didn’t feel right
“Phoebe, come in”
“I can’t, Prue told me to be quick, I just wanted you to have these” She handed over the treasured letters “Erin and I wrote them a few years ago, we wanted our families to know how much we loved them” Phoebe blinked back the tears
“Oh, Phoebe, thank you so much” Ann reached out and hugged the little girl.
“I have to go” Phoebe walked away sadly. That night she didn’t even pretend to be ok, she just went to her older sisters room, climbed in next to her and cried. She shed tears of pain, fear and loss. Prue didn’t know how to comfort her. The whole community had been badly affected by the sudden death of Erin, but her little sister was one of the worst hit.
At three Am, Phoebe shook her sister, waking her. “Prue”
“Phoebe, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t sleep”
“Come here” Prue sat up and pulled Phoebe close to her “Why can’t you sleep baby?”
“It hurts”
“What does?”
“Everything, I want Erin back, how can she be dead, I don’t get it?”
“Phoebe, I wish I could bring her back but I can’t”
“Do you think she’s ok?”
“Of course she is baby, she’s at peace now”
“I miss her so much,” There was silence for a while, it was only when Prue urged Phoebe to get some sleep that the youngest broke down “I’m so scared Prue”
Phoebe cried and cried, terrified that someone could die so easily. “There’s nothing to be frightened of sweetie”
“Will it happen to me? What if I get sick, Prue I don’t want to die, I’m scared”
Prue listened as her little sister poured out her feelings. Piper stood in the doorway, her heart breaking.
“Phoebe I promise, this will not happen to you, I promise” Prue rocked the little one in her arms. None of them slept that night. The next morning they all had doctors appointments. Anyone who’d been in direct contact with Erin, had to take a course of antibiotics as a precaution. This served to put Phoebe’s mind at rest.

Two days later the much-dreaded funeral took place. Phoebe, Prue and Piper followed the hearse as it made its way from Erin’s house to the church. The church was overflowing with mourners, the whole school had turned out to say goodbye to a much loved and dearly treasured friend. The school choir sang hymns, Phoebe and two of Erin’s cousins read poems. Phoebe couldn’t handle the procession to the cemetery. They passed by the school and Erin’s house again, for the final time ever. Phoebe couldn’t watch as they laid the tiny body of her friend to rest, she ran of again alone, this time winding up on the beach. It was totally deserted, so Phoebe took a stick and moved down close to the water’s edge. She sketched a final goodbye into the sand, telling her friend how much she loved and missed her, then sat back watching the waves erasing her words.

For weeks later, every time Phoebe awoke, she momentarily forgot the tragic happenings. It took a long time for her to come to terms with reality.


*Ten years later*

Phoebe made her way to the graveside of her friend. Erin’s life had been cut so short; to this day Phoebe couldn’t understand how such a beautiful person could be taken at such a young age. Phoebe hadn’t been back here since the day of Erin’s burial, not being able to associate the grave with her lively young friend. When Phoebe thought of Erin she usually went to the beach. This is where she felt closest to her, where she could still sense her presence. On the beach Phoebe could vividly recall all the memories of her friend, both good and bad. Prue and Piper stood outside the cemetery, watching their tearful sister talk to her friend, their own minds going over the events ten years ago. Phoebe turned as she felt the hand on her shoulder. She didn’t quite recognise the man standing behind her, “Daragh?”
“Hi Phoebe, long time no see” Phoebe smiled back at the teenager. She felt guilty for not recognising him immediately, for years after Erin’s death she’d visited him regularly, but that had gradually ceased. They spent ages catching up on lost time. Phoebe could see the likeness of her friend in him.
After he’d left, her sister’s took her home. She felt blessed to have such wonderful sisters who were always there for her when she needed them most.

The End