Ariginally published at 06:54PM on Sunday, November 02, 2008. It was inspired by this picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8893112@N03/2150321414/

whoa, i think i may remember this, and it still is chilling and innocent too, in a way.

Last line gives it whole new meaning. I think you’ve captured this in a way that one can almost imagine being there, and being six.

always wondered how a child envisioned this….

Nice job capturing the confusion of the scene. I went to a funeral back when I was 8 or 9, and I think I had only a slightly better understanding of what was going on. Psych Points:
1) Most kids do have that question or fantasy of joining the dead person, though this should not be construed as suicidality as they are generally not really understanding the whole death and finality thing. It’s just “another place”.
2) This, people, is why there should be a non-family member or two on hand to help little kids out as a funeral since the family adults are generally too busy with their own mourning to help them make sense of it.
Great ficlet. Very real. Very deep.

Thanks so much, all.

@THX, I meant for the last line to convey that “younger sibling” feeling where you want to go wherever your big brother/sister goes, even if you don’t know where it is.