It was Saturday, August 1st 2015, I will never forget this day. Honestly I think I remember every detail about that day. It was a warm summer day not overly hot. You could stand to be outside in a t-shirt and shorts and be comfortable. My dad and brother had gone out motorcycle riding and I decided I just wanted to stay home. Maybe there was more reason behind that but at the time I was unaware of it. My mom was cleaning and doing laundry. A phone call came in on my mom's phone at this point we thought it was nothing out of the ordinary.

My aunt Joann called asking, “Have you heard from Chris?” My mom replied “Not today, but he called me last night when we hung up he was supposed to call me back and never did.” Joann then stated “He is missing and not answering his cell phone.” (Joann and Chris had separated a few months back. Joann was dating someone new and Chris was very upset over it. He kept expressing to her that he loved her and wanted them to work things out.)

Joann had also told my mom that she had received some disturbing texts from Chris the night before. My mom immediately hung up with Joann and called my pap. My pap was living at the house with Chris. When my mom got a hold of my pap she asked him “Is Chris there?” He responded that “No, he is not home in fact he never came home last night. That he had left on his motorcycle without saying a word. He got on his motorcycle and took off racing down the road.” My mom also told my pap about the texts to Joann from Chris. At this point everyone is now worried about Chris. It is not like him to disappear and worry everyone. My mom said she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach but didn't know if it was nerves or if something bad had happened. At this point my dad and and brother are not answer their phones. So my dad has no idea that at this very moment his one and only older brother is missing. My mom calls Joann and tells her Chris never came home last night after flying down the road. Joann said, “I am going to the police the texts really have me concerned.”

After going to the police Joann decided she was going to go for a ride and check some of the places that her and Chris had gone. Joann had remembered an area that her and Chris had gone to a few times up on the mountain in Bakersville. Joann called my mom asking “Doing you know how to get to the hiking cabin?” My mom said “No, I have no idea where you are talking about.” Its like the timing was perfect my dad and brother pulled in. My mom ran out and said “Chris is missing!” He gives that look of dazed and confused. She then asks him if he knows how to get to the hiking cabin that Joann is on her way their to look and see if she can find him. My dad of course had an idea of where she was talking about because he grew up on the mountain. He told her just to keep going till she seen the gate. That is the entrance for the trail that leads to the cabin. My mom stayed on the phone with Joann as she was driving and the next thing my mom heard was “No Christopher” the scream was one of those screams that not only sent chills down your body but you knew at that very instance that something was terribly wrong. The call was lost my mom called back right away. Joann said, “ I need you to come here now Christopher shot himself his hands are cold he is not moving.” My mom grabbed her keys, shoes and said lets go we ran out the door. That ride seemed like it took hours to get there but the fact is its only about a 30 minute drive.

I am sorry but I cannot continue this paper but it feels good to let some of it out on paper. It is a tragic ending that has effected the whole family. I wish my uncle Chris would have talked to someone in the family before taking his own life. I often go up to the spot on the mountain to be close to him because he did chose a beautiful spot. The area is secluded and surrounded by trees a very peaceful atmosphere. I hope that one day the family finds out what really happened that night when he left in a rage.