Bookview Valley 4

Chapter Thirty: The End

June 20th, Thursday

The day for Sebastien's funeral has finally arrived. We're all dressed in black and there's already been many tears; mostly from Flynn, but can you blame him? We've all corralled into the church where it all seemed to begin. The Skeletons left Dean's funeral alone, and with my current knowledge I believe they'll leave Sebastien's alone too. I've spotted a couple of people from camp who've come to share their respects. I guess Sebastien made some friends at camp. Rachel and Lilyth didn't come, but they did call and explain why. They have something going on in their town, and couldn't make it. Paige did drop by and give her respects, but she couldn't stay for the whole thing. Tom, on the other hand, did come, and he's currently Bri's support. 

I follow my friends into one of the long pews, all of us standing shoulder to shoulder. Ben's on my left side, and Nick's on my right, my hand in his. I glimpse Harper holding Ben's hand and can't help, but smile. 

"Today we've gathered to say farewell to Sebastien O'Heare, he was family to some, and a friend to others..."The pastor begins his long speech. We all silently listen and soon it's Flynn's turn to go up and give some words. He can only manage a small speech, because soon he breaks down into sobs. Bri has to go up and lead him off of the short stage. After some time, we all go up and say last words to Sebastien's closed coffin. Then we make our way out to the reception area. They brought some food and drinks for people to mingle. 

"Are you okay," I ask Flynn, pulling him into a side hug as we stand in the room filled with people. 

"I will be," Flynn sighs, "I managed to get a flight to Poland in two weeks. Sebastien's mom is excited to see me, and they're holding off their funeral until I get there." 

I squeeze him tight, "If you ever need me, just call and I'll fly over."

He smiles weakly, "Thanks, Morgan."

We enjoy each other's company as we talk to everyone who came. We share stories about Sebastien, jokes about the past, and we remember him fondly. I knew him barely more than a year, but his loss sits in me. I've lost so many friends over the years, and yet it still hurts to lose more. I feel for Flynn, and I really hope this is it. I really hope it's over. Maybe the Crimson Skeleton will give up now. Maybe Lillith will take them down for their failure. Maybe we can all live this time, and no one else will get hurt.

Nick takes my hand, "Do you want to go on a walk through the cemetery with me?"

"Sure," I nod, following him outside. We walk over to the cemetery where so many people I know are buried. We pass a couple graves with names that are very familiar. We come to a stop in front of the most familiar name.

"Lucian Brooks," Nick says.

"My one and only brother," I mutter, staring down at his gravestone, "an idiot."

"He was an idiot," Nick chuckles softly, "but he hurt so many people."

"We can still miss him," I sigh, "but he's better down there than out here where he can kill more of my friends."

"Very true," Nick and I silently stare at Luci's gravestone, shoulder to shoulder.

After a few moments pass, I speak again, "What happens after this?"

"What do you mean?" Nick glances down at me, his pupils taking over the color in pure darkness.

"After this summer, we go back to our lives," I say, "but then what? Do we just pretend this never happened? How do we move on?"

"I think we don't," Nick lets out a breathy sigh, "it's part of us now, and we have to accept that. However, I think we can still live out our lives happily. We remember everyone we lost, but we live for them. We move on, we grow, and we do the best we can."

Smiling slightly, I nod, "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll always remember what happened, but I think we can move on."

"I think so too," Nick squeezes my hand, "We can move on, together."

"Just you and me?" I raise an eyebrow.

He laughs slightly, "I mean we'll still visit all of our friends, but if you'll have me, I think we can take this journey together."

"So now you finally ask me out," I bump him with my hip, "kind of poor timing."

"If you want me to wait some more I can," His laugh is louder, and his smile is wider.

"No," I shake my head, "You're mine, and this journey is ours."

"I like the sound of that," Nick smiles down at me.

"Good," I say, but it comes out in more of a whisper as his head lowers to mine. Within a second, his lips meet mine in a sweet and calming way. Our kiss is slow, but passionate. My hands find their way into Nick's hair as his hands wrap around my waist. I could kiss him forever, but after a second he pulls away.

"We should probably get back to the others."

"Very true," I can't stop my grin, "We have plenty of time for kissing later, anyway."

"We do," He takes my hand again and leads me away from my brother's grave. It may have been a weird place to kiss, but my life has turned out to be pretty weird anyway. We soon find our friends, and I try to offer the best support I can.

. . . . .

The rest of the summer goes pretty smoothly. No one dies, there's no Crimson Skeleton, and we all seem to enjoy each other's company. Two weeks after the funeral, Flynn flies off to Poland where he meets Sebastien's mother. She instantly loves him and he ends up moving there to spend the rest of her days with her. However, she does live for many years after he moves there. He comes back to visit every once in a while, bringing souvenirs, stories, and memories with him. Eventually, he meets another man and they get married. Sebastien's mom lives a couple of houses over, and still welcomes them into her home. They adopt two boys, and name one Sebastien.

Bri decides to switch colleges and she moves to New York; Tom actually moves with her. She becomes a fashion designer, all the talk and rage of the city. Tom becomes a lawyer, their house is big, and their cars are fancy. They get married a few years later, and then they have a daughter. Bri's happy, the pain of the past slipping away. She visits too, of course she throws a huge Christmas party in her mansion every year that we all go to.

Harper actually marries Ben a good many years later, it was a whole rom-com. She liked him, refused to acknowledge her feelings, and Ben had to try so many things in order to win her over. Every Christmas Party Bri and I would try to get them together, but Harper always refused. Eventually, he won her over and they were married in Paris; with a little help from Bri. They moved to Virginia and had two boys and a daughter. They live in a fancy, technological house that Harper and Ben built together. Harper built her own tech company up from the ground, with Ben's help. They run it together, but they always visit and are never too busy with work.

As for Nick and I, well we followed their example. We finished out college in Boston and decided we enjoyed it. We stayed there, bought a comfy home, and then moved my parents up here too. We married two years later and had some children of our own. Life is good now, there's no fear of any Skeletons in any closets. The pain is still there, but it doesn't hurt as much. Once a year I return to Bookview Valley, and I visit all my friends' graves; including my brother and Jamie's. I found a job in journalism, seeking out every truth behind every rumor; no one can hide from me. Nick ended up as the CEO of a major supply company. I'm not entirely sure what he does, but he's really good at it.

We're all living our best lives, fear is in the past, and it can only get better from here. Of course, I still have an antler knife stashed away encase of anything, but I have a feeling I won't need it again. The Crimson Skeleton may still be out there, but it's been years. I believe the worst is over, and now the best is here. It's time for us to finally enjoy our lives. This truly is The End.