The Longest Journey Pt. 2: Grief

Out in the country there was an empty field. There was no brush or hint of grass. Just a flat plain field. Surrounding this field was a rich green forest.
Rumor had it the field had been cursed by some deity. The filed had erupted into flames one night, destroying the crops and livelihood of the farmer.
The farmer and his family had died in the fire. Since then no one had tried to reclaim the field. The field had been empty ever since.
Noah used to stare at that field and wonder how disaster could strike so quickly, and why it took so long for the green grass and healthy trees to grow back.
As he approached it now, still burnt and dead, he felt like he understood a little bit more. He could almost understand why his mom had felt so connected to it.
He crossed the field and slowly approached three simple gravestones at the edge of the field. One for his mom, one for his little brother, and one for his baby sister.
He gently rubbed the gravestones of his siblings. A silent “hello,” before kneeling in front of his mom’s gravestone.
“Hey, mom.” He whispered, placing a hand over her name. It was the only tombstone of the three engraved. He would have changed out the gravestones, but there was something comforting about the small, simple tombstones for his siblings.
It reminded him of a simpler, easier time. A time when he didn’t have to constantly worry about who said what, who did what. When he didn’t have to worry about who he talked to, or think about all the in’s and out’s of the social/political world.
He sighed, “She’s gone.” He said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
He sat there, staring at her tombstone. There was no wind, no birds, no sound.
“I thought…I thought…” Noah closed his eyes, and choked back the tears, “I miss her so much.” His hands tightened around the tombstone. The rough edges digging into his palms. “I thought I’d be okay. I thought I could handle it. I thought—” He collapsed on the ground, exhausted and tired. Tired of feeling sad, tired of missing her, tired of everything hurting.
He sucked in gasping breaths, trying to breath through the tears and snot. HIs body shook as he wept. He didn’t try to stop crying. No one could hear him out here. He didn’t have to worry about someone knocking on his door.
Noah didn’t know how long he was there, kneeling in the dirt. He took a shuddering breath, his eyes aching, his nose stuffed, and his throat dry.
“I don’t know what to do.” He said, “I just want her back.”