Dreamcatcher

Chapter Seventy: One Last Goodbye

On the day of Chloe Price's funeral, a select few were permitted to attend.

After fighting back her emotions for as long as she could leading up to that day, Joyce had completely broken down when she and David arrived at the cemetery.

Behind them was Clark, Rachel and Ophelia.

Followed by Max, Kate, Raymond Wells, some people that Chloe was friends with such as Justin, Trevor, Dana Ward, Warren Graham, and even Victoria Chase.

Everyone walked in silence up the main path into the cemetery, evenly spaced. They all wore black as the suitable colour for the event in which they devoted their final respect for the fallen.

Joyce could only walk so far without it becoming difficult to walk on account of the pain she'd felt losing her daughter. She clung onto her husband, David, for support in case she fell to the ground. But she remained strong and managed to walk all the way to where her daughter was supposed to be buried, alongside her late husband, William.

It became all the more challenging when Joyce set her eyes on Chloe's coffin where there was a priest waiting patiently for the guests to arrive. To stand witness to the burial of one's child was something no parent deserved to go through. But for the fact that Joyce had to experience two losses was almost enough to make her crack fully. She had to stop every so often to compose herself while David whispered words of encouragement in her ear as they walked up to Chloe's coffin-side with those who knew Chloe.

Kate silently captured Joyce's attention by touching her arm to show support to the older woman before taking her place beside David. Warren positioned himself next to Joyce, and everyone else, around the coffin.

The town's priest began the ceremony, solemnly praying to God before offering the others to express any eulogies before the closing of the ceremony. When nobody volunteered to contribute anything, Clark voiced an opinion.

"I didn't count on really speaking at my own sister's funeral. I kind of expected her to outlive me at one point. Sure, we might not have got along all the time, but she was still my sister and I loved Chloe so much. I'm going to miss her so much. I just hope she and dad are up there in Heaven right now, making pancakes and going on pirate adventures together. Yeah..."

Rachel reached over and rubbed Clark's back while the priest closed the ceremony.

While the priest closed the ceremony, a blue butterfly fluttered down onto the coffin. Other seemed to notice but paid no mind to it, except Max. The butterfly carried such mysterious significance that she couldn't help but smile at the winged creature.

The brunette felt her hand get squeezed by her girlfriend of three days, Kate Marsh. The dirty-haired blonde girl smiled at the photography nerd and brushed her knuckles with her thumb as they waited for the ceremony to conclude as they were keen to having the repast and moving forward from the depressing day they've had.

All they could do now was move forward with their lives and commemorate Chloe the fittest way they knew how: to enjoy life like it was running out of style.

THE END