Trapped

31.

The next morning Angela shook me awake and we all had breakfast together, along with the lady that owned the cottage. Zac picked at his food and didn't partake in the table conversations, but I ignored it. I still couldn't exactly understand what his problem was so I couldn't help him. 

Once we finished breakfast I thanked the lady for letting us stay in her cottage then I took a few notes from Ryan's satchel for the bus tickets and gave the rest to her.  The lady was so sweet that she even packed a basket with lunch for us. We said our goodbyes to her and after that we were on our way to the bus station.

*** 

I led my whole group of friends to the spot where I agreed to meet Grant. He was sitting under a tree and watched us as we came closer. He stood up when we got there and I introduced him to the rest. He had built a casket out of driftwood and branches for Erin's body and it was lying there next to the tree. There was a horrible stench coming from the casket, because Erin's body was decomposing. I scrunched up my nose but tried my best to ignore it out of respect for Erin.

"So do you guys want to burn her or bury her?" Grant asked and I flinched at the harsh way he said it. 

"None of the two, Erin always said that she wanted to be sent away on the water while the sun sets, we have to find a way to make her wish a reality," Megan said.

"Okay, well you're in luck because while I was searching for wood I did stumble upon a river about half an hours walk that way, I guess it flows into the ocean at the Dragon's Castle," he said and pointed in the direction that he was talking about.

"I would have taken you there, but I don't want to stay for the formalities if you don't mind. I would like to get back to my family as soon as I can," Grant said after a long silence.

"That's fine, Grant. Thank you so much for everything you've done for Erin, we really appreciate it," I said and gestured to the others.

"Thanks girly, I'll see you around," he said and nodded his head once. Then he walked away in the direction we came from and after a while he turned around and waved. 

"Okay, let's all help to carry the casket to the river, then we can wait there till sunset," Megan said and walked to the casket. Each person took a spot of the casket and we all carried it to the river. I was surprised that Jason didn't have something to say about having to carry the casket.

 Because we had to put the coffin down every now and then to switch sides, it took us a bit longer to reach the river. Once we got there it was already late in the afternoon, but we had enough time to pick out a nice spot to send Erin away and to pick some flowers. The river was extremely beautiful, the grass around it was as green as grass can be and it had a lovely view of the ocean on the horizon and the hills around us. 

I wouldn't mind being sent away at the exact same spot, because it was just glorious. Finally the sun was low enough for us to begin with the little ceremony. Each of us said some words and Megan was the last one to speak.

"Erin was my best friend, we did almost everything together. She was more like a sister than a friend really. I still remember all the great memories we had together. Like that time we went camping and she scared the crap out of our camping neighbors with her fake snake. Or the time she started a cake fight in the cafeteria. She was always the life of the party and she always knew how to make anything a lot more fun. That's what I'm going to miss the most about her. My life will never be the same without her, none of our lives will be the same without her. I hope your journey to the other side is blessed, and hopefully one day I will join you there. This isn't a goodbye, it's a see you later," Megan sobbed and fell down on her knees next to Erin. Then she placed a flower on the top of the handmade coffin and nodded gave us the instruction to put the coffin in the water. 

We did as we were told and carefully placed it in the water, then we all watched as Erin floated down the river. The water glistened and reflected the pink of the skies and a tear rolled down my cheek. There was a long silence as we all dealt with this situation in our own way. Memories of Erin popped into my head, the time she did my make-up when we went out because she had perfected the technique of the smokey eye. The time she talked all of us into ordering a gross pizza for my grumpy neighbor Mr Panchetti and had to clean his house for weeks after that when he found out that it was us. She was, as Megan said, the fun one of the group. I still remember how mad I was at her when she put hot sauce in my hot chocolate. She called it 'extra hot chocolate'. 

I looked over my shoulder at the others, Megan was still in the same position looking down. Angela had a straight face and stared at the sunset, she was never good at dealing with grief. Jeremy was standing close to Megan with his crutches keeping him upright and Jason was standing between Angela and Jeremy with his hand on their shoulders. There were tear stains on his cheeks which proved that he had been crying and I smiled. It was good to know that he really cared at the end of the day. 

I searched around for Zac and found him sitting on a boulder next to the river and staring at the ground. It didn't look like he had cried, but he did look sad. I sat down next to him and he seemed startled by my action.

"Oh, so now that you're boyfriend isn't here anymore I'm good enough again?" he said and I furrowed my eyebrows. This boy knew how to hold a grudge and I didn't even understand what he was so upset about. I didn't feel like dealing with his moods at that moment, so I stood up and started walking away. 

"No, wait, I was just joking, I'm sorry," he said when I started walking away. I tried my best not to start a fight with him out of respect for my friends who were in mourning and that is the only reason why I gave him a chance to explain himself. 

I sat down next to him again and then I asked, "Why are you so upset with me Zac? I don't understand what I did wrong."

"I- I don't know, seeing you so happy with that guy, it just- it makes me mad," he stated.

"But why would it make you mad if it makes me happy?" I asked.

"No that's not what makes me mad, it makes me mad that no matter how hard I try, I'm not the one who makes you that happy," he said and just like that a lightbulb went on in my brain and I finally understood that he was jealous.

"Oh," was all I said and then I looked away from him. I didn't really know what to say or what to do with this new information. 

We sat there in silence until Megan and the others joined us. We sat together and watched the sunset and when it was dark I was about ready to go.

"Who wants to go home?" I asked and everyone started talking at once. 

"I'll take that as a yes," I said and took the crystal necklace in my hand, closed my eyes and thought of home. I was even starting to miss my dad and I was really excited to go home. When I thought of home a pink swirly door opened in front of us and on the other side there was darkness. I took Angela's hand and she took Megan's hand and so it went on, I ended up awkwardly holding Zac's with my right hand and then we all walked through the portal together. 

When we walked into the portal everything went black and I couldn't feel Zac or Angela's hands anymore. I looked around the darkness and called out to them but no one answered. Then suddenly I was swept off my feet by a mysterious force and I was falling. I fell onto a hard surface and then I started sliding down into a light in the distance. I fell out of the slide and into the garden of the Seyfried Mansion.

I landed on top of Jason and everyone else was in a pile below him. They all groaned after I landed on them and I chuckled. I stood up and soon after me everyone followed.

 I took in the very plain and not-so-dangerous area around me and savored the magical moment of finally being back on earth. Then I took a deep relieved breath in through my nose and said, "Man it feels good to be home!"

THE END