Linger: A Novelette

Epilogue

I hold the yellow rose as I stand in the background, waiting for the dark visitors to leave.

The sun is covered by a mass of dark, heavy gray clouds. Standing under a craggy tree, I notice the creepy way the branches' shadows appear under the ghostly light.

Nothing seems to feel real anymore, nothing makes sense. I wish I didn't have to learn about the world like this. But in a way, this is something beyond our world. There are a lot of things that are beyond our realm of reality, something we all figure out at one point at another, some people more than others.

Glancing up from the ground, I notice the dark figures begin to leave the site. All in small groups of burdened people.

I stay back until I'm sure everyone has retreated. I don't want any prying eyes around.

Creeping over, I stand before the freshly made mound of a new grave. Placing the flowers down carefully I say a prayer.

The prayer is genuine, one I create from my heart.

The dampness is getting to me as I begin to shiver lightly. I can't stay out here too much longer as I don't want to become ill again. I have a suspicion that the unknown illness, that nearly killed me a few weeks ago, won't come back. Though I still suffer from easy fatigue and weakness.

After the prayer, I just stand there staring at the tombstone.

Marcy Annie Dillions
Beloved daughter, niece, friend, and classmate

She was too young to die. They were all too young to die the way they did.

I left roses for the others as well. To make amends with them and release their souls from any torment.

Pink for Kellie, white for Ty, yellow for Marcy, and-

And red for Lester.

The name causes my shivers to increase in intensity.

Why did Lester kill off all his friends that saw him die? His closest friends all dead along with him. Was it out of despair? Out of loneliness? Out of revenge? And if out of revenge, why his best friends- sure they weren't the nicest to me or some other kids, but I can't understand. Why didn't I die as well? I was there when the accident happened, I was the most guilty person there that day.

That day I replay in my head. Over and over and over again.

A small part of me thinks that Lester was going to kill me, to let me fade with my illness. But whether it was my guardian angel, God Himself, or just Lester having a change of heart, I survived. And I have to thank someone for that.

I thanked Lester by going to his grave site and leaving the roses. I said the prayer.

But, even though I'm lucky to be alive and made my peace with those lost, I still think on that day constantly.

I didn't mean for it to happen. It all happened so fast. If I only was faster, stronger, louder, then maybe he could've been saved. But now he's dead because of me. I have sleepless nights and restless days. My thoughts are always on him. Now if only his soul would stop haunting me.

I go to his grave every day and decorate the grave in red roses, but still, I'm tirelessly haunted by him. Whether this was to be my fate of "death" or just an unfortunate aftermath of my survival, I try relentlessly to break the curse.

I need to live with myself, I need to live with peace again.

But no, there is no more peace no more self-confidence. This is beyond our world, beyond our meanings, beyond our hope.

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Hiya,
Finally I finished this short story novelette thingy. It probably took longer than it needed to but, you know, writer's block and everything. I actually wrote the first two parts back in 8th grade and the first part of part three in the beginning of ninth grade. I wanted to finished this story so the first story I wrote on here was going to be this. I enjoyed this story and actually had no idea where it was going to go. I enjoyed writing it and hopefully you guys enjoyed reading it. It's also my first finished product on Wattpad(I worked hard on it) so it's doubly special to me.
Thanks for the support & keep on reading! :)