Where She Went

01. Mother's Grave

~ Hazel ~

1 week ago

Standing over the small stone slab in the ground, I convulse in a sob. My father stands on the other side of me, his eyes directed at the ground, as if he could see mother from the dirt that was planted on top of her grave.

November stands beside me, one arm locked with mine while his blue eyes scanned over the ground intently.

I couldn't help but wish I could stay here, with my father and my mother. But I couldn't anymore. Harrison was bound to find me soon enough, and I knew we all couldn't risk that. It was only right that November and I would move away to a different state to get away from him. And selfishly I wanted to move to get away from my old past.

I forgot I was holding a set of roses in my hand, and I look at them sadly. Mother always loved roses, and we had a garden in our backyard where she could plant them and take care of them. Sometimes I would help her, and once I started planting, it was impossible to stop. I loved the feeling of growing something from my own hands, and watch it turn into something beautiful. Something as beautiful as mother's heart.

Squatting on my heels, I gently place the set of roses on her grave. A gentle patter of rain starts, coating the red flowers with beads of rain. I stand, brushing a strand of hair from my face. My father walks over to me when I start to sob again, and wraps his frail arms around me. I let my head fall against his shoulder, and slump my shoulders against him.

The hatred towards Harrison was unbearable, and the nagging feeling I've been trying to hide away keeps peeking forward. I wanted to stay in town and wait for him, no matter what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve. I wanted to be the one who killed him, finally, and I wanted to torture him for what he's done.

But for everyone, and for November, I was going to do the right thing and move away in a few days. I hope if he gets caught the cops give him a hard time. I would like that.

My dad releases me, and I look him in the eyes. "I love you, father." I whisper.

He smiles, placing a hand gently on my shoulder. "I love you too, pumpkin."

He always use to call me pumpkin when I was younger. As I got older, it became ancient, but right now I couldn't ask for more.

Taking one last silent glance towards my mother's grave, I turn on my heels and follow my father back to our car. My mother had been placed far into the grave yard, so we had a little bit of a walk back to the car. I came to walk beside November, unconsciously grabbing his arm to lead him. His blonde hair was tousled from the wind, and clung to his forehead from the slight rain. Luckily I had put my hair up in a ponytail, so I couldn't notice it.

My feet drag along the cement pavement that twists around the different sections of the graveyard. The trees whisper as wind kicks up around us, the branches swaying and the leaves glistening. I took a moment to to look around and just remember everything. In a few days, I would be gone-- and I probably wouldn't come back. Only for visits, and that was after Harrison hopefully dies or goes to prison. The pain of remembering everything might become unbearable, and I might just break.

Taking a deep breath, I let my eyes fall over the line of trees and the soft grass on both sides of us. We hadn't had a very clear day yet, since thunderstorm fronts have been rolling through for the past week. I yearned for that clear day when no matter where I went I could always be in the sun, and have it radiating off my skin in its clear rays.

November squeezes my hand gently, giving me a small smile. I smile back, wiping the last of my tears away with my sleeve.

"Will you feel better if we go home and eat all the cookies in the pantry?" He asks, his smile getting wider.