The days that followed were a haunting blur, each one more suffocating than the last. Lucy's lifeless body was discovered at the base of the waterfall, a tragic testament to the pain she couldn't escape. Her funeral was a sombre affair, the air heavy with grief and regret. Angela and Grey stood together, tears streaming down their faces as they remembered the vibrant woman they had lost. Their guilt was palpable,guilt drowning them. Jackson, his eyes red and swollen, delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy, his voice cracking under the weight of his sorrow.
His voice was raw and croaky as he spoke- tears streaming down his face, "i think.. we can all admit we played a part in your death- we were so busy blaming you.. ignoring you. We didn't notice the signs, I will forever feel guilty for making you feel so alone. I'll never forget you lucy. Nobody on this earth was as pure and kind hearted as you. I miss you, my pretty best friend, I'll look after kojo for you. I never liked that dog but- for you. I'd do anything and he's the last thing i have left of you. I wish I could see you one last time and tell you how sorry I am.. Goodbye lucy.."
Grey spoke next his voice cracking, heart racing. "Lucy, the day I met you I knew you were going to make the station a brighter place, you had so much potential and you always had the brightest gleam in your eye. I had the honour of being in your life. You were like a daughter to me, I'd have swam across every ocean if it meant you were safe. The day you got taken by Caleb I never thought I could be more fearful than then, but now.. losing you, knowing I'll never see you again? That pain is unbearable. I'm sorry I let you down."
Nyla sat alone, clutching a tattered photo of Lucy, her own guilt eating away at her soul as she sobbed to the every word spoken.
The air was heavy with grief and regret. Rows upon rows of uniformed officers stood in respectful silence, their expressions etched with sadness and disbelief. Each clutched a single white rose, a symbol of their unending respect and devotion to lucy. At the front, the polished wooden casket lay beside the police badge stood as a painful reminder of the void she left behind.
The girl who once brought justice and hope to their lives was now still and silent forever. Tim knelt by the casket, his shoulders shaking violently under the weight of his guilt. He couldn't bear to look up, his gaze locked onto the lifeless form of his former love. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he whispered a broken promise, 'I'm so sorry.'"
As Lucy's casket was lowered into the ground, a collective cry of despair rose throughout - tears and sobs could be heard from miles. The realisation that they would never see her brilliant smile or hear her infectious laughter again was almost too much to bear.
the earth, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Jackson, finally succumbed to the grief that had been threatening to drown him since the news broke. He crumpled like a discarded paper bag, sobs wracking his entire frame as Angela and Nyla rushed to hold him upright.
Their own tears flowed freely, mixing with the rain that now fell steadily upon them all. Grey, her mentor and father figure, was inconsolable. He clutched at the wet earth as though he could somehow pull her back from the abyss. 'She was like a daughter to me!' he cried out hoarsely, his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions. 'Why did she have to go?' he asked the heavens, desperation and sorrow warring in his eyes. Nyla wrapped her arm around Grey, trying to offer some semblance of comfort while Angela stood stoically, her hand on Jackson's shoulder in support. The rain continued to pour down, mirroring the tears of those who had gathered to say their final goodbyes.
The following week was a dark tunnel of misery, the echoes of her laughter haunting their every step. They mourned not just Lucy's death, but the life she could have had—the life she deserved.