The ground was soggy causing my heels to sink down, deeply into the grass and earth. I’d only worn heels once before in my life, a school dance Elizabeth and Dan made me attend when I was fourteen. Maneuvering across the grassy grounds that led to the grave sites while trying to keep up with David and Ellie, I remembered why I’d never worn them again after the dance.
Ellie reached back and grabbed my hand, tugging me up in line with her, turning her attention from David to me.
“Now is not the time,” David hissed, narrowing his eyes at Ellie. “Let her have a moment to grieve.”
“She didn’t even know them.” Ellie sounded like a child, whining for a toy she’d been denied, but she was right. I didn’t know the people we were laying to rest but that didn’t lift the weight of their deaths from my conscience. The soft look David gave me must have conveyed this to her because she hugged my arm to her side. “Sorry,” she whispered.
The rest of the walk was made in silence. I spent most of it watching the ground and trying not to break an ankle or lose a shoe. When I finally looked up, I wished I hadn’t.
It was like a scene from a movie. There was row upon row of black clad mourners dressed in their very best, circling the four open graves. I won’t be pretentious and say the graves looked like a wound, gaping there, waiting to be filled but it would be a fitting description if I did.
The families of the four dead were standing in a line in front of their lost loved ones. I couldn’t look away thought I felt like an intruder, sneaking in to relieve my guilty heart during a private moment.
A woman, I don’t know her name but was certain she was the mother of the boy in the casket standing in front of her, she smiled at me. I smiled back the best I could and looked away. Mathias caught my eye, watching me from beside his father.
They were standing at the front, next to Dan and Elizabeth. Where we would also be standing, I realized. Panic seized me and for a second I considered running. Mathias must have seen it because he started to turn toward me. His father caught his arm and slipped his hand into his sons.
“Please stay,” I heard Castan say. I couldn’t see his face, but I did notice he staggered a little. The look on Mathias’ face was heartbreaking.
“Okay,” Mathias said, gripping his father’s arms to hold him up. “I’ll stand with you, Father.” His eyes strayed and lingered on me, they were pleading. Looking torn, Mathias turned and leaned against his father’s shoulder, holding both of them up.
I was struck by how alike they were on this terrible day, how similar everyone was, all of us swaying under the strain of our own personal and shared grief.
David led us to stand next to his parents. Ellie remained with us standing hand in hand with David. I stood next to her, unsure of my place.
Elizabeth leaned across her son and Ellie. “You should stand with Mathias. You are part of his house now.”
“But if you need to, you can stay and lean on us for support,” David said, popping his head out to block me from his mother’s view.
Elizabeth smiled and it was one of those smiles that makes the hairs on your neck stand on end. David was completely unaffected. I could only imagine him glaring back.
“And who will Mathias turn to?” Her tone was deadly.
“Mother—“
“It’s okay, David.” I touched his arm. “She’s right.”
YOU ARE READING
A Tail of Stars
FantasyThere is nothing average or ordinary about Casey Miller's life. She has no illusions about that. She's been having visions since she was six. At seventeen these waking dreams have become so intense and overpowering they have put her in danger, lu...
