Prologue, Upside Drowned (A Lucy Langston Mystery)
Jimmy Parsons was surprised at the simple ease of Benny’s death. He’d expected groaning, or gasping, or… something. But Jimmy had been looking right at Benny’s face, silently wondering how much longer it would be before his heart stopped.
And then it did. Benny was breathing, and then he wasn’t.
A lone tear squeezed from the corner of Jimmy’s eye but he felt both relieved and unsurprised. Benny’s brain activity had stopped a few days ago when he’d suffered a massive seizure. Jimmy was there, with Benny’s family, when they removed the life-supporting apparatus. They had all stood at his bedside, staring intently at the boy they already missed until the nurse gently reminded them that Benny could remain in this state for days, maybe weeks. Even then, they were all cried out. Benny had lost his life in the lake almost a month ago, as far as the people that loved him knew. Since then, they’d been visiting machines and tubes while Benny’s body lay unresponsive in the hospital bed.
Jimmy met Mr. Adams in the hallway. They didn’t speak. Mr. Adams threw his arms around Jimmy and they both began to sob.
“I know you loved him, son. It’s a terrible thing to lose your best friend like this.”
Jimmy and Benny were both fifteen.