BLUEBERRY POP-TARTS

Are pets family? Because if they are, then I can say I've lost family.

Her name was Goldy. She was a goldfish. She was the first time I experienced death.

I came down to my room and looked over to my mini aquarium. Goldy was floating on the top of the water, slowly moving with the current. Being young and naive, I thought she was just taking a nap. I thought it was funny. Goldy never took naps. I wanted to show my sister. She looked into the tank and gasped then sprinted up the stairs. My dad came downstairs with my sister trailing close behind. I was sensing panic and urgency but I had no idea why.

Goldy wasn't taking a nap. Goldy was dead.

My sister sat on her bed and screamed bloody murder while my dad scooped Goldy out with the green fish net. If you walked into the room and didn't know what was going on, you would've thought her arm just got cut off.
I sat on my bed, opposite of my sister. Silent. Watching my sister cry and my mom try to console her. Was this what death was? Was everybody supposed to scream bloody murder? Why wasn't I? My eyes were watery. My throat felt huge. I wanted to cry. But I didn't. I had to be the tough one.

We put Goldy in a blueberry Pop-Tarts box. My dad got the shovel from the garage and we slowly walked to the backyard. My sister's head was resting on my mom's stomach as she hugged her tightly. I was standing by my dad and watched him dig the hole in the dirt. We put the blueberry Pop-Tarts box in the whole and covered it over.

By then she was sobbing again. We said a prayer. It was Mom's idea. I felt awkward.

Blueberry Pop-Tarts have never tasted very good since then.