Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

146

"You're managing to stay so positive in a crazy situation like this, and you've been through far more than I have. Way more than I have, and I feel guilty for being such a brat. You're still here, you're still smiling, and you still have hope. Okay, maybe crazy was the wrong word to use. You're... you're an inspiration."

Link chuckled, and Terra found herself able to smile a little bit more.

"You should probably try to work on your vocabulary there, Terra. I don't know how you go from crazy to an inspiration!"

Terra laughed, and then the both of them fell into silence. Link glanced at the time and inwardly heaved a breath. It was time to get going to the funeral.

The funeral parlor was packed, hot and stuffy. Link had no idea who anyone was, besides Terra whom he'd not lost in the crowd. It was a good thing she'd settled in and grown acquainted with family members she probably hadn't seen in many years anyway, but he felt like a sore thumb here. He looked around, maybe having a glimmer of hope to catch a familiar face. In the far corner of the room he saw a familiar face all right. Mercedes. His heart seized up and he was jolted when somebody began speaking. He was so out of it that he hadn't realized people were speaking and the services had begun.

He saw Terra up in front of the podium, and he tried to offer a warm and inviting smile. He knew this was probably going to rip her apart even more, and he braced himself.

"Lying in this beautiful coffin behind me is the most graceful girl you'd probably ever had the chance to meet. Despite her disabilities, she carried herself with dignity and understanding. She had disappeared, knowing that she needed to take time to find herself, and realized the person she needed to be for me and my brother. The way she always sat quietly and observed everything around her, making the slightest sound when she wanted to add her input in something... she was never rude, and didn't have a single mean bone in her body," Terra trailed off to look around the room, and Link couldn't tell from where he sat if she had been crying or not.

"She was definitely one to look up to, and up until her last breath she was always so graceful. I hear all the time that things happen for a reason and I didn't used to believe that crap, because I never understood why the really awful things had to happen... Especially to really good people. And then I realized... These people truly didn't belong here. They were just too good for this world, just like Tessa was. I believe wholeheartedly that she's in her rightful place right now, more than likely spending time caring for all of the little kids whose lives were cut way too soon."

Terra dabbed a few tears away from the corners of her eyes, and Link couldn't help but do the same. He automatically thought about Allison when she mentioned the kids, the prospect further breaking his heart. He was busting on her just a little while ago about her vocabulary, but then she comes out with this eloquently spoken speech about her sister and his mind was blown away. His heart bled for poor Terra. Terra really was a fantastic girl with a big heart, and he was going to see to it that justice comes to the one and only responsible for all of this happening.

Link felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped, turning his head to see who it belonged to. It was the same old woman he'd been dying to talk to because he knew she had the answer to his ever growing question. She smiled warmly and motioned for him to rise to his feet, and he did so, casting a glance behind him to see that Terra had stepped down and was being comforted by someone. He turned to face forward again and they stepped outside into the sunshine, Link throwing his arm up to shield his eyes from the bright light.

He followed Mercedes across the street, and then they traveled north about 100 yards. They then zigzagged through the property of what looked like an abandoned home and passed through some bushes, Link catching a tear in his suit coat. They continued onward, ending up on the street again before taking another left. They were passing by the local cemetery, and Link could see that they were getting set up for the burial.