Trapped in the Afterlife

Chapter 16- First Takeover, Last Guardian

"Tammy Rose was an only child when she died. Her parents had a little boy shortly after her death however." Margaret whispered behind me as I stared at the memorial plaque with the name Tammy Rose engraved on the smooth stone. "Cecilia and I only knew her a short while and this was after her death but she was a sweet girl."

Ever since we'd arrived Margaret had been telling me all she knew about the girl she believed I was. Cecilia was in the lobby with the others, probably doing something similar. "Emma..." her hand came to rest on my shoulder but I shrugged it off and moved away, looking at the other plaques. Her parents' plaques were just beside Tammy's. "Emma. You are Emma. No matter what happens, you are not Tammy. Or at least, you aren't anymore. But what happened in the hotel room... that was the vengeful ghost of Tammy's murderer. There is no reason he would be after you if you were not her."

I shook my head and moved even further, this time putting space between myself and the plaque. Between myself and Margaret. Hopefully, between myself and all this insanity. "Emma--"

"No, please. No more, Mrs. Morel. I'm going home and I don't want to hear anymore today..." I muttered as I reached the door. Before she could answer I swung it open and walked through the lobby. I didn't stop my quick steps as Alexanne stood up and chased after me.

Outside the rain was pouring but it didn't stop me as I ran outside. I ran into the cemetery and ran until I was soaked to the bone and out of breath. My legs gave out from under me and I fell to my knees on the muddy grass. Months had gone by since my wake up, and yet they didn't seem to get better. Only worse. From one month to the other, it seemed that my life got weirder and weirder. I looked around the cemetery, this place to bury the dead. But was that all an illusion? I was after all dead, I was buried and yet here I was walking and breathing.

I didn't want to be Emma Thorne anymore, much less Tammy Rose. Both names came with unresolved stories. Both identities came with incredible levels of insanity. And yet, I couldn't run from either of them. I am both. Tammy Rose was the perfect child, while I am her residual shadow. The remains of what she once was. Margaret kept saying Emma could keep living. That Emma could be Emma and not Tammy. But how? Maybe that would have been possible before I was told that I died, I lived-dead and was reborn – but not under these new circumstances. I couldn't be Emma. I wouldn't be Tammy. So, who was I?

I remained sitting there on the grass with my back pressed against a random tombstone, letting the rain further drench me until I felt like my bones were going to melt. I was tired. I was tired of crying. I was tired of being confused. But I still didn't respond when I heard the voices screaming out my name. Even with the dark clouds above our heads, it was still day time and I knew they'd find me eventually. I didn't run. Part of me wanted to be found now. Even if the other part of me felt dead.

As the voice approached I realized that it was none of the voices I knew. I followed the direction of the voice until I saw a guy in his mid-twenties approaching. He was wearing a plain black cap with the tongue sticking back, black military boots and an over all classy, stylish but grungy look. Dark blonde hair peeked out from under the cap, reaching to the bottom of his earlobes. As he got closer, I noticed that his eyes were a very light, faded blue with no pupil.

He started shouting out my name but stopped short when his eyes landed on me. Recognition flashed across his face but I was pretty sure I had never seen him before. However, as his eyes roamed over my prone shape, recognition was clear on his face. "Ta---Emma... right?" he asked as he stopped about a foot away.

I nodded my head once but my own eyes remained fixated on his – he had no pupils. Other than the typical white of the eye, the rest was a light shade of blue. "They're strange, aren't they?" he asked with a grin spread wide on his face. He moved closer and took a seat against the tombstone in front of me. "Strange that with everything going on, you find refuge in a cemetary." He looked around, the grin still not gone from his face.