Window Sills

Chapter Twenty

The air was crisp that morning. I was warmer than usual but still had a biting wind. The graveyard was a gloomy place. It was almost as if could see everyone who has mourned someone else. Dick stared at the gravestone ahead of him. It was larger than some others, but didn't stand out too much.
Here Lies Wallace Rudolph West
Gone But Not Forgotten
"Wow," Dick whispered. "That's the cheesiest thing I've ever read. You would have hated that." Dick had thought he had cried all his tears away. But, of course, he was wrong.
"You're right. Who ever thought this was the best way to honor is memory didn't know him at all." A voice said behind him.
"Oh, Artemis...sorry, I didn't see you." Dick choked out. He quickly wiped away and visible tears from his face. Artemis put her hands in her pocket and chuckled a bit.
"Are you crying?"
"N-no."
"You can't fool me Grayson. But... I won't judge. I think I'm crying too." She was in fact. Her eyes were suddenly puffy and red. They stood there for a moment, not quite sure what to say.
"Dick?" She asked finally.
"Hm?"
"Tim told me about your breakdown last week." Her voice was full of concern.
"Oh that asshole. He'll be making me cookies for weeks." Dick said, trying to stay as positive as possible.
"Seriously though, what happened?"
"Well, I just...couldn't handle it. I was having nightmares and eventually they became too much. I'm...okay." Dick said, not quite sure he meant it.
"When did they start?" She asked, looking at the ground.
"Before the crash, the night I ran away maybe? I've only had one since last week though. I'm getting better. I think." He scoffed.
"What...what happens in them?" Artemis asked carefully. Dick didn't talk.
"People yell. Screaming into my head. Wally and Jason mostly. And my parents sometimes. Bruce too. And I think it was breaking me." He was still crying, just this time his breath came out in little puffs. "I don't think we ever actually made up after that fight we had, Artemis." She turned quickly to look at Dick, who was crying a bit more now. He had always been the sensitive one in his family, but never to this extent.
"Dick, please don't think-"
"Oh but I do. I think he died hating me." As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, Artemis spun him around to face her.
"Dick, you'd be a fool to ever think that.   He was your best friend. He would never hate you. I promise." He broke down again. Although he was much taller, he wrapped his arms around he waist and cried like a child. When he finally pulled away, he turned to the grave once more.
"We need to write a new one."

On a piece of paper, tape on, the words read:
Her Lies Wallace Rudolph West
The Boy Who Saved The World

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Only a few more chapters are coming out guys. Thank you for all your love and support with this story. I started it a year ago and all ready 1k+ reads. Thank you so so so much

Bridie