Remember Me

Chapter 10

Blake's face contorted in an unreadable expression. He hadn't just heard that, right? He heard the wrong thing. That is impossible.

"S-sorry?" he asked, hoping that he hadn't heard Mr. Moretz right.

"It is what I'm telling you, boy. Believe me or not, that's the truth" Mr. Moretz said, lightly patting Blake on the shoulder.

Blake didn't want to believe this wiry old man, but Mr. Moretz' eyes told him he wasn't lying. Anyway, who would be cruel enough to lie about something like that? He felt paralyzed, a whirlwind of thoughts was caressing his brain but somehow he wouldn't let them in. He couldn't feel, couldn't really understand what the truth was. Had the love of his life been a lie? Had he loved a dead girl?

"I understand if you can't find words... I would be pretty taken aback too. Here boy, let me explain: Margot and I went to high school together. That was back in the 50's let me tell you! We became close at the beginning of our sophomore year; we did so many things together. She was the closest thing I had to a best friend, you know, I was just a lonely fella who read philosophy books and had a giant collection of comics. Anyway, the day before our graduation the most terrible thing happened..." Mr. Moretz stopped, took a deep breath, and said "They found Margot's body near a ravine; she was all bruised with a giant gash on her head... They said she had fallen down on her way back home, but boy; I was never able to believe that. I really don't know what happened to her, who killed her, she never told me." Mr. Moretz explained all of this carefully, trying to read Blake's expression. He was motionless.

"Well, skip to 48 years later... I was sitting on my desk waiting to welcome new students, and the most familiar face shows up. I had had other students that had reminded me of Margot, but this time, it was her. How can you forget a face like that? And anyway, a certain lady called Margot Holland was enrolled in my class, and I had to push my beliefs aside, and accept that as crazy as it sounded, Margot was back somehow. I waited for everyone to leave when the lesson was over and I guess she knew what she was doing, because she stayed behind. At first, I was a little skeptical; I thought it was all a huge horrific prank, but then she spoke, and something inside of me told me to believe, to accept. She told me that she had been roaming around Bozeman for all that time, lonely, confused, and living in a complete state of sadness. She told me she couldn't see the light no matter how hard she tried. Poor girl hadn't been at peace for all that time...I believed her, and she told me she would try to live a "normal" life to see if she could see it. That's all she wanted boy, to see that damn light. She was so happy when she met you Mr. Parker, but she knew that she couldn't keep at it any longer, she knew you'd want kids that she couldn't give to you, that she'd never stop looking 18, that she wouldn't be able to keep pretending she was normal... That's why, with all the pain in her heart she had to leave you like that. That led her further away from the light and in a terrible state. She thought you had forgotten about her, I had to be there for her when I could, and I understood why you had to leave. I'm glad you came back boy, she's finally happy, our Margot". Mr. Moretz finished saying, and Blake could see a small tear rolling down his cheek.

This was all too real; Mr. Moretz could not be lying. Margot had been a ghost this whole time, but how come she felt so real? So alive? But in a way, Blake realized that there were little things that he had overlooked, like the fact that she was always cold, she was always so pale, even more in pictures. The way she did everything delicately, as if she was afraid she would disappear all of a sudden. How she talked like an old lady, with all those old sayings and elegant words. He now understood, but he couldn't help but feel strange for loving a dead girl. Even with this new truth, he still loved her somehow. He didn't know what to do now.

"I believe you Mr. Moretz. Thank you for telling me this" His voice cracked, all of the emotions that hadn't been able to overcome him were now flowing freely through his body. He was devastated, and he had so many questions, but none would come out at the time.