Immortal Stranger

Diary Entry #33

Diary Entry #33

The grey clouds were stormy and forbidden as we trudged on the uneven ground. The rain was pattering softly; as if God himself was crying. For all we know, he could be.

If you looked ahead you could see a sea of black, all in mourning. If you looked behind you could see rows of flowers and tombstones, all in remembrance.

I stood, barely understanding the speaker at Luke's funeral. I just watched his lips move slowly and wished that he wasn't saying the words I knew he was. I just wanted him to be quiet and declare that Luke was just sleeping.

But I knew he wasn't. He was gone. Forever.

"Hey darlin', you okay?" Danny drawled as he pulled me out of the crowd. I nodded and together we walked past the crowd of mourners and towards the lake.

Finally we stopped, silently taking in the breathtaking calmness and beauty of what lay ahead of us. The water was clear and fragile, almost as if it was waiting for something. For a storm that would never come. Or I hoped would never come.

"Do you think he's happy?" I whispered. Danny looked out at the lake as he thought of his answer.

"I think so. You of all people Tia would know best. I just pray he is," Danny murmured. I nodded and tried to recall what happened to me when I died.

"After I died, I...uh...I woke up in this black place. I could watch both of you come to terms with my death. I figured that was the only way for me to move on. Then when you had that dream and I finally got to talk to you, well right after that God came and took me away from that place. Besides talking to your mom, that's all I can remember," I said calmly as I looked at the sky. Was Luke watching us right now? Did he wish he was still alive? Did he wish he could come down and comfort us?

"So you think that Luke is looking at us right now, trying to tell us he is happy there?" Danny said softly. I just continued to look at the sky as Danny's arm snaked around my waist and pulled me close in comfort.

"In that case, I would want Luke to know that I will always miss and love him but I would never forget him. He has made me a better person and I will always hold him in my heart. I want him to be happy wherever he is and I pray that he will always watch over us and guide us. Luke is forever part of me," I whispered. I felt Danny stiffen next to me but when I looked I realized it was out of sadness. A single tear betrayed his feelings and I knew that underneath everything, he was missing Luke too.

"I didn't get to know you for too long, little bro. But I love you and I thank you for taking care of Tia when I was gone. I can never repay you for that and I wish you good luck in your next life. Love you," He murmured as he continued to gaze at the twinkling star.

Suddenly one star grew brighter and larger as we stared. It twinkled for a few seconds, catching our attention with its' love and hope. Then, just as sudden as it had appeared, it disappeared in a flash of light.

"Goodbye Luke," I said sadly and together, arm in arm, Danny and I walked back to the funeral.

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It was a warm spring day. A cool breeze ruffled my hair and I felt warm as I snuggled up to Danny. We were both lying on our backs on the ground and I was lying on his stomach. We were just watching the clouds as they puffed their way across the sky.

As much as I hate to admit I knew we were both thinking about Luke. It had been two months since his funeral and although we had been taking a break from all that heavy stuff it was still hard on both of us.