Broken: Emily's Story

10

I turn away from the school and walk to Ellie's grave. It's not like I ever paid attention anyway. Besides, I needed to talk to someone. Even if they couldn't talk back. It was a shorter walk than from home.

The moment I enter the gates, I feel calm. Like as if I belonged there, among the dead. I walk through them, the silently watchful. I find myself in front of her grave before long.

I sit down. I tell her about school yesterday, about Eric. And then I just ramble for a while about random things until I run out of things to say. Eventually, I stop talking, silence surrounding me.

Ellie appears from behind her tombstone. She smiles and runs to me. Happily, I pull her into my arms. It's okay, Emily, she says.

I start crying. She smoothes my hair under her small hands and calmly, gently shushes in my ear. I feel myself slump in her arms and despite her frail frame, she manages to hold me up. We sink to the ground, her still holding me. She lets me just cry to her.

I wake up, lying on the ground, grass blades pressing into my face. My face is wet, like I'd been crying. I sit up and look at Ellie's tombstone. The grass on her grave looks undisturbed, like no one had been there.

I push myself off of the ground and sigh. I tread back through the rows of the dead and through the gates. Once I exit the cemetery, I feel hollow. Like I left something behind. I walk back to the school.

I hear a bell ring. A couple minutes later, kids file out of the school, laughing, catching up with friends. I stand away from the fray, watching. How I wish I could join them, but I can't. I'm too weird, too different.

I see him exit the building. His friend is with him, talking as usual. He isn't paying attention though. He's looking around the schoolyard, like he's looking for something. Eventually, he sees me. His face lights for a second. He tells his friend something. His friend nods and runs off. He heads my way.

When he reaches me, I look down. Where were you? He asks. I was talking to my sister, I tell him, not looking up.

Oh, he says. He sounds uncomfortable. He shifts on his feet. I look up at him. He has a sad look in his eyes.

I could take you to see her, I say. I tried not to let any hope in my voice, but even I could tell I sounded hopeful.

Um, sure, he says. He doesn't sound thrilled in the slightest. I guess I sounded crazy. I'm also one of the very few people who wanted to meet people's dead friends and family.

I mean you don't have to if you- I start. No, I wanna meet her, he says cutting me off. Oh, I say, this way. I turn and head back to the cemetery. I hear him follow after me.