Thirty-first Prompt: Twenty-one

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It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one.

Susan stared at the front door.

„Su, I know, it's your first birthday since...you know what, but you can at least celebrate a bit!“, one of the friends she had invited said.

„I...I just wish they were here“, Susan sighed.

It was Susan's twenty-first birthday, her first birthday since her family died in a train crash.
Celebrating wasn't easy. In fact, Susan hated herself for the decision to even celebrate her birthday a bit.

„I just...I just go to the bathroom“, she said, put on a smile, and walked away.
When she closed the door to the bathroom she sat down on the cold ground.

Thoughts raced through her mind, so fast that she couldn't finish one, but take a glimpse of each.
There were memories, regrets, wishes, dreams.

All taken away by a train.

Susan leaned back and tried to calm down.
The last thing she needed was to end up crying here.

But the thoughts continued on racing and the world continued to spin.

Stop, she thought.
„Just stop“, she whispered and a tear escaped her eye.

And there came more.

There was a knock on the door.
„Susan?“, one of her friends asked.
„Are you planning on getting out of there?“

„Yeah, just give me a second“, Susan answered, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

Susan got up, looked at herself in the mirror, and tried to wipe the ruined makeup off her face.

Her glimpse fell on the picture on the little shelf.

It was a nice picture, from before the war had started, and her whole family was on it.

„You know“, she said quietly and smiled. „It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one.“

„Susan? Are you okay?“

„I'm coming!“

With a last look at the picture, Susan opened the door.

Maybe she could forget the fact, that her family wasn't here for one night. But tomorrow, she would remember.

And that was a promise.