Becoming The Shadows (Shadow Series #4)

02- Funeral

The knot in my shoulder has grown even more since I've woken up in Parrish's chair at the police station. Stress is a very common factor to make knots form in my back and shoulders, causing me great pain. Usually, I'm good at hiding when I'm in pain, but it would seem as if this body is not quite used to it. My right hands digs into my left shoulder, in attempt to soothe the large knot as much as I can, while Parrish drives towards the place I dread the most.

After he picked me up from the side of the road, Parrish had taken me to the station, only to find out that he can't really do anything about me because Sheriff Stilinski took the morning off for a funeral. Parrish tried to look up my name, but I had to make up a fake last name. A small plan had formed in my mind, knowing that I needed to create some kind of identity. That's how Claire Silver was born. Believe me, now, I realize how utterly stupid I was to pick a name so similar to my old one. Allison said not to tell anyone and my name is the biggest clue of all.

I think Parrish might think that I have some sort of amnesia because when he tries to ask me about my past, I simply say 'I don't know, I'm from France.' An idea that popped into my head because I could simply act as if I was a friend of Clara's when she went to France. Although, a part of me is worried that someone will recognize this body, claiming that I'm someone else. Did this body even belong to someone else? Or is it actually mine now?

Parrish barely got any sleep last night, too determined to figure out who I really am, and became rather disappointed when he found next to nothing. I just claimed that the France records can be very protective and doesn't like other people prying into them. He decided that Sheriff Stilinski would be the best one on what to do next. I guess Parrish doesn't want to just let me go, considering that I have no money or even a place to stay.

Unfortunately, since he took the morning off, Parrish thought he would drive the two of us to the funeral and wait for it to end to speak to the Sheriff.

The police car rolls to a stop alongside of the road, where the funeral is set up not too far away. Cars are parked in every possible parking spot, some even in the grass. Up ahead, white foldable chairs are placed in front of two, dark wooden coffins, each with a small arrangement of flower on top of them. Two, large holes are dug up out of the ground, side by side. A priest stands at the head of the two coffins with his hands behind his back.

Parrish shuts his car off and sits back in his seat, quietly watching the funeral take place. From here, it looks like everyone is taking a moment of silence, considering that everyone has their heads tilted down. Without knowing what I'm really doing, I find myself climbing out of the cruiser and, slowly, inching towards the funeral.

The Argent Twins' funeral.

My funeral.

"Claire?" Parrish calls out from behind me.

I glance over my shoulder to see him halfway out of his car, hands resting on the top of his door. A confused looks has swept over his face, like he's wondering what I'm doing. I open my mouth to say something, but shut it when I hear the priest say that people can come up to say a few words.

I twist my head back around to face the funeral. My breath catches in my throat when a girl with wavy, dark hair makes her way to the podium. She spins around to face the small crowd of people, face scrunched up, showing that she has been crying through the whole thing. Her fingers intertwine together before she nervously pills them apart.

"C-Clara," Kira sniffles when she says my name, nearly falling apart. "She was-" She shakes her head once and leans up against the podium, exhaling.

I walk a tad bit closer until I reach a tree that I can keep myself hidden from view. Kira fully slumps over the podium, crying too hard to say anything else. I cover my mouth with my hand, silently crying.