Captured Moments.

Ch.5 ~ Living Dead.

"I felt my death. I felt the life drain out of me. But with the state I was in it felt like I was being brought back to life. I thought I was, not that I was actually dying. I was set free of the torturing, the constant ache and throb of my bones, the feeling of my blood trickling down my body. I heard it all too. The crunch and grind of my bones, the constant drip of my blood hitting the floor. Every now and then the pain came back worse though, that's the problem with pain, it demands to be felt."

I saw all of this. The image of her lifeless body flickered into my vision. Nobody would find her body in that secluded warehouse. Her murderer was smart, unlike mine.

"They found me. I was face down in a lake. It was my best friend who found me. I wasn't fully gone then. I saw my own eyes in his. It was a horrible sight, seeing the life being drained out of them. I loved him you know." She smiled at that, but only slightly.

"I loved him too. but it couldn't save me. He didn't care. I pleaded for him to stop but he liked to see my face scrunch into a look of pain every time he slashed some part of my body. I think he enjoyed slicing my face the most." She smiled bitterly.

"Sounds like you know how to pick them." I laughed and took her hand in a gesture of kindness. "I've been through the pain of dying too, but clearly you went through more than me." She sadly smiled. I understand death. It's and odd thing to wrap your head around. "Have you been to the living world yet?" She looked so confused.

"You mean back too earth?" I reluctantly nodded.

"We never entirely left you see. Wanna go now?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun illuminated the sky. One whole year. This time last year, I stopped breathing.

I've always been fascinated by lights ever since I left. The way the glow, it's inviting in a different way to anything else. In death it's just complete darkness. Unless it's daytime, then there's a slight glow to the dreary after life. A single light in the darkness.

I inhaled the sent much too familiar to me. "Where are we?" I was so lost in my thoughts I forgot the reality of this situation. "This is where I spent most of my summers. The place I spent my last summer." It was silent after that.

"So. You died here?"

"Yeah. I did."

"What a beautiful place to die."

"I suppose so."

"Hey, is that your boyfriend?" My head shot up. Xavier? He hadn't been back here since I died. But yet, there he was, tossing stones across the river. We always used to toss stones and see who's could get the farthest. "He isn't my boyfriend anymore. I'm dead now." She nodded, clearly lost in thought. "Briar." What was that supposed to mean?

"Excuse me?'

"My names Briar, and yours?" Her face looked so soft. Who would want to ruin it?

"I'm Tenley. And that's Xavier." I pointed at him across the river that lead to the lake.

"He seems really lost without you Tenley. You should be here, with him. It's not right somebody took that from you." She did have a point. Nobody should have to go though the pain of losing somebody. It's just as bad a being the lost one. "Does it get better Ten?" I could hear the cracking of my dead heart at the sound of the oh so familiar nickname. "No. It doesn't."