Jamie Dale - The Eleven Kingdoms

Chapter 31: The Seventh Day - The Memorial

The memorial started around seven at night, the candles that everyone gathered were ready and lit. We created a shrine with pictures of everyone who had been lost. There was pictures of Ben, Mum, even a picture of Chris and Wendy Valentine. I left a photo of my dad on the shrine as I knew I would never see him again, there was no point of even trying to go search for him and I didn't want to go find him. He was gone. Otaku grabbed a locket from inside her jacket pocket.

"Who's that for?" I asked.

"My dad," Otaku looked down at the photograph inside of the locket, "He's dead."

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her.

"For what?" She looked towards the stars and smiled, "You didn't kill him, you would've been one of the people to look after him and try to protect him. I know that."

I put my hands in my Jacket pockets and stared up into the night sky with her, I wonder how many planets are up there just like this one...? I wondered as a shooting star flickered before my eyes. I made a wish at that point. I wished nobody else would die.

I looked back at the shrine those hours of hard work paid off, the wood was smooth and put together decently with nails. There were seventeen candles that surrounded the memorial site and a few on top of it itself. The shrine was delicately placed next to the river. All we did was wait for a bit.

I saw Misty place a photo of her mum down it glimmered and it was the first time in nine years that I saw Miss Leggett's face. Her Hair was brunette unlike Misty's bleach blonde hair which still had that tinge of green.

"So you're mum..." I began to speak.

"I never even got to know her name. I was too young to even know her from anything but mum." Misty began to shed a tear.

"Sorry." I didn't know what else to say it's like that was my new catchphrase.

"Life is fucked up," Misty hugged onto me and didn't let go for a solid minute, "One day you're alive, the next you're dead, the next you're an imaginary friend, and it keeps getting more complicated after that. But at least I know something, that I love you."

"I love you too," I said holding onto her closer, "From imaginary friend to your friend's lover."

"You forgot being alive again..."

"Yeah I guess I did."

Even though Lavender and Lucy had no photographs of loved ones they placed mementos of their past life two hundred years ago.

"You know Gnatus," Lavender would say to me, "You remind so much of my father, it's strange but I have a feeling you two would've gotten along."

Mellissa didn't leave anything she acted like someone trying to be tough the entire night, especially when the ceremony began. We started when River arrived, we did not speak to him we just started. I noticed his blue hair as I began to start my speech.

"Today's a special night, tonight we will remember our lost ones. The last week has been hectic and I don't know how long our lives will continue to go on like this..." I looked at my crowd of Otaku, Mellissa, Lavender, Lucy, River and, Misty. I looked down at Ben's body and I felt a tear.

"But tonight, we will keep their memories in our hearts even if it hurts. Even if we try to hide it we will know that we tried our best to keep them safe. This night will not only allow us to commemorate the dead but it will also allow us to appreciate who's still with us. Because without everyone around me today I don't think I would've made it this far in life."

"Misty you helped me when my family was having issues, and showed up just in time when my family was getting harassed. Mellissa..."

"Woo," Mellissa shouted.

"Thank you because without you I wouldn't definitely be here, even if you're crude and vulgar practically every day thank you for saving my life. Esmeralda, I thank you for helping me out all those times in class, and thank you for helping me escape Anna's torture house, without you I may have never been able to make it this far. Lavender, I know we've only met a few days ago but I am thanking you to for saving us in the sewers and leading us to safety. Lucy, I'm sorry I don't know you much but thank you for helping us today."

"You're welcome Gnatus." Lucy smiled.

"River, I don't know you at all but I thank you. If it wasn't for you I would've never seen Misty again."

"You're gratitude makes me appreciate that she did find you again." River smiled his blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

"I also want to thank the dead. Thank you Mary Dale, my mother for always looking after me even after I've upset you or made a fool of myself. You never gave up on me, even when I was ready to give up. Thank you Ben Riley, without you by my side we wouldn't have been able to stop Anna, and without you I would have had a horrible life, you were my best friend and I would never forget that and, Chris Valentine, I have no idea if you're alive or not but thank you, for helping us when we needed it."

I was already crying for half the speech when I finished, and after I had my speech everyone else who wanted to speak did. Misty mentioned her mother and some of her friends from heaven whom had been sent to hell for others misdeeds.

Otaku mentioned her father in a monotone voice saying how he was one of the best Mancer's her planet has ever seen. He was warrior who slayed and erased thousands of demons. Her speech seemed to have an uncomfortable effect on Mellissa and Misty. Misty seemed to be silently freaking out.

Lavender just revealed a few names from her past in a rapid succession which made it near impossible however to understand what she had said. Lucy and River said nothing. After each speech was done, we pushed the raft we made for Ben's body through the river banks water and as the candles were lit we witnessed his body drift off towards the ocean slowly.

"His funeral is for not just for him but for everyone who has been lost." I said as I released the firewood's flames towards the raft and engulfing his body to cremate. Unlike burning of flesh there was a relaxing scent obviously made through the firewood, this reassured me that he didn't die in vain. That his life meant something and wasn't taken for granted, that everyone's life wasn't taken for granted.

That service ended relieving every one of their pain.