It Can't Rain All The Time

Long Since Gone

With dinner in tow, Cassie and Sarah strode hand-in-hand to the wrought iron fencing surrounding the cemetery. As Cassie stood before the entryway, a pit fell in her stomach. The last time she stepped onto this hallowed ground, she wore black.

---

The day of the funeral, it poured down rain. Cassie sat on the edge of her bed in her black dress and rainboots staring into nothing. Finally, she turned her head to the window and saw the rain coming down. Even the heavens are crying, she thought. She fought back the welling in her eyes and pushed down the lump in her throat before standing. She looked once more in the mirror, then headed out the door with her coat and umbrella.
Cassie walked her way over to Sarah's apartment. Out on the step sat Sarah, now drenched to the bone with rain. From behind her, the door burst open revealing Darla and her latest lover, Funboy. They were giggling and leaning on each other as they descended the stairs. "What's with you two?" Darla puzzled, still high as a kite.
"We have a funeral," Cassie stated, "which you should be attending."
"Whatever. Have a couple bucks for food." Darla shoved a five dollar bill into Sarah's hand. Funboy turned around and gave a little wave before disappearing around the corner with Darla.
"I don't want to go." Sarah said. Cassie sat on the step next to her, covering them both with the umbrella, not that it did much good.
"Eric and Shelly would want us there. We have to say goodbye."
"I don't want to say goodbye. I want them back."
"I do, too. But this is how life is. You have these wonderful people that make you so happy and fill your life with love and suddenly they aren't there anymore. But for their sake and ours, we have to do this. You trust me?"
Sarah looked up at her, her face soaked with rain and tears. She nodded slightly before taking Cassidy's hand and walking to the cemetery.
It was an intimate affair. Cassidy stood hand-in-hand with Sarah by the open graves. Across from them were Eric's bandmates, and of course, the priest. The caskets were simultaneously returned to the earth, and Sarah hid her face in Cassie's black coat she'd clung to. Cas took every muscle she had not to burst into tears right then. She knew she had to stay brave, to show Sarah that this was the way life was, and that she could be strong enough to beat it.
The small amount of people dispersed. Cassidy sat at the edge of Eric's grave with Sarah.
"You can say something to him if you'd like." She suggested, rubbing Sarah's now ice cold upper arm.
"What's the point? He wouldn't hear me anyway."
"You don't know that. Not for sure at least. His body might be down there, but what makes him him, his essence, that could be anywhere. He could be sitting right next to you, listening to every word. You just have to believe it." A single tear escaped her eye and she quickly wiped it away. Sarah looked slowly down into the grave and breathed a sigh.
"Eric, I don't know what we're going to do without you and Shelly. You guys were my family." Sarah looked to Cassidy. "Am I going to lose you, too?"
Cas wrapped her arms around Sarah as they both began to cry. "Never, never," she repeated. From the darkening sky above, a lone crow encircled the graves, soaring in the rain. It let out a wail as if it too was in pain. Cas hoped it was Eric's way of saying a final goodbye.

---

The girls walked through the soft grass of the cemetery and reached their destination. Before them sat two beautiful grave stones, one for each of their dearly departed friends. But something was wrong.
"What happened?" Sarah asked, dropping her skateboard on the ground in front of the defiled grave. "Did someone dig him up?"
Cassidy approached the hole in the ground. She bent to look down in, but only saw darkness.
"We should leave, Sarah." Cas stood and grabbed onto her arm.
"But what happened?"
"I don't know, honey, but we have to go."
Cas brought Sarah back to Darla's apartment, despite Cas pleading with her to come back to her home. "I just want to be alone," said the teenage girl.
Cas was at a loss, not knowing what to do. The grave didn't look right. It didn't look like someone had dug in...but instead something had dug out. But that was impossible, right? Zombies? Like in one of those creepy books they always read together? Or something worse? Her feet carried her to the only place she knew she could get answers.

---

The yellow police tape still barely clung to the doorway to Shelly and Eric's apartment, a reminder of the painful night one year ago. Cassidy breathed inward, the scent of wet floorboards and rain engulfed her. She'd always enjoyed the smell of the rain. Realizing she was only stalling, she stepped forward and creaked open the door.
Inside, the room was dim and near empty. The vanity still sat in the corner with the theater mask at its side. Cassidy lightly pressed her finger against the lips of the sad face. A layer of dust transfered to her, which she promptly wiped away on her coat.
Slowly, she made her way through the studio apartment, landing on the most comforting piece of furniture still left standing: the bed. It was coated in dust, so she shed her coat and placed it on top of the comforter.
As she lay there, she couldn't help but think about the kiss, oh so long ago. Eric's question of soulmates floated through her brain. Could someone have more than one? Or perhaps there was only ever one true twin flame? Either way she knew now that it wasn't Eric who was hers. They could never be together again.
"God dammit, I just miss you," Cassidy said aloud. "Some days I wake up and I just need to see your face. I need you to hold me like you used to. If there was any way to bring you back, I would. Even if it was just for one night."
The creak of a floorboard echoed through the apartment. Terrified, Cas shot up from the bed and stood. Her eyes scanned the room.
Meow! A dirty white cat came out from the shadows in the corner. "Gabriel, Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!" Cas's pumps clangged along the floor as she approached the pet. "I can't believe you're still here! I'm so happy to see you. Would you like to come home with me and have a little bath? And maybe some food? You're looking a little starved, Buddy."
"You always were so caring, Duckling."
Cassidy froze for a moment then began to shake. She stood and faced the window, seeing the silhouette of a man long since gone. Then, everything went black.