Hello, Goodbye

Chapter Four

Emersyn looked around, as if making absolutely sure this guy was talking to her. Then she took a small step back and said, "Actually, I was just about to leave. I have a bunch of groceries sitting in the basket, and I should probably get home to put them away." This was all true, but also she just didn't feel comfortable helping some strange guy she didn't know read something in a graveyard. They were creepy enough without adding the stranger danger factor to the equation.

"Right," he said, letting his hand fall to his side and air blow out of his mouth. "I just... it will only take a second. Please, miss?" He had a slight southern drawl, and something about it, and the innocent look in his light blue eyes, made her think he could be safe.

She frowned and looked toward her bike. Then she gave a small sigh and said, "Okay. Yeah. Sure."

He smiled at her and stepped aside, gesturing to the headstone he was standing in front of. "I just can't read this name. Looks like the stone is old and dirty, and the name is... well, it's pretty unreadable." She stared at him, and then took a small step toward the headstone. "I've been trying to make out the name for a while, and—"

"I think it says Burk Matthews," she said, tilting her head to the side in the hopes that it would help her see the old weathered words easier. He mirrored her and squinted, trying to see what she saw. "Died on June 16, 1991 at the age of," she did some quick math in her head before saying, "43? Does that sound right to you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. But I don't think this is the person I'm looking for. Thank you for your help though. Much appreciated." He gave her another smile and a nod of his head, and she grinned softly back at him.

She knew this was her chance to leave. To get her groceries back home and in the fridge. But now she was intrigued, and she thought maybe she could help him. "Who are you looking for?" she asked as he started to walk away.

He turned back toward her and said, with a sheepish grin, "You know something? I don't exactly know. Crazy, huh?" Yes, she wanted to say. It was crazy. Who came to a graveyard in a small town looking for someone they didn't know? She took another step back, now a little more apprehensive than she was before. He laughed. "I'm not crazy, I swear. I'm just looking for someone, but I don't know really anything about them. Just that it's a man. And he died in his late teens to early twenties."

She felt her heart stop. Her dad had been in his twenties when he'd died. "You don't have a name though?" she asked, and he shook his head. "Then it's probably not going to be very easy to find him."

"It's definitely not been easy so far," he replied. "Especially since most of the graves are so dirty and weathered that they're hard to make out what they say." He sighed heavily, then took a step toward her and held out his hand. "Sorry, don't mean to be rude. I'm Zeke."

She closed the distance between them and shook his hand. "Hello," she said, still a little anxious. "I'm Emersyn. You new to the area, Zeke?"

This was a dumb question, because obviously he was new to town. She knew practically everyone, and she'd never seen this guy before. But even still, now that she was seeing him from a little closer, she thought there was something a little familiar about him. Maybe it was in the light shade of his blue eyes, or the messy curls of blonde hair sitting atop his head, or the warm pink lips that curved up into a tiny smile, but she had a feeling she'd seen him before. Once. A long time ago.

"Guilty," he said, looking a bit sheepish again. "What about you, Emersyn? You new here as well?"

She grinned at him. "Yes and no. I grew up here. But this is my first time back in a few years. So I'm a returnee, not a newbie."