Varya Blackwood visits her grandmother at the cemetery but finds herself drawn to the grave of a woman named Diana Pressona. Varya blacks out and when she wakes up she begins to receive visions of things she's never seen before like a different hous...
This afternoon we're going to visit my grandma. It's been two days since the incident and I'm kind of afraid to go back there. It's morning and we decide it's best to go visit the lakefront and get some food. Most people like sunsets but I like the sunrise because it means it's a new day with new possibilities. On the walk there my mom can't stop talking about how proud of me she is for learning how to swim. She found it odd that I just jumped right in when I've never been able to swim before and I can't lie I have to agree. We decide ice cream is an appropriate ice cream so we all get butterscotch like we usually do. You know how when you go on vacation and have nothing but sugar and good old restaurant foods? Well if not, that's what my family does at least. Lately I've been tasting things differently so the butterscotch starts to taste bad and I throw it out. My mom tells us that after me having to the hospital she doesn't want to stay for the three days that are left of the trip. She tells my brother and I that we'll be leaving tomorrow. I guess it's the doctor in her. She used to be a nurse until my brother and I were born. Then she quit to take care of us full time and my dad worked at a law firm but since my parents divorced my mom had to go back to work this time as a family paediatrician. She likes it better because the hours are more flexible and she's able to take a bit of time off if she needs it. I'm sad that today is the last time we'll be seeing grandma for a little while but there's something else I'm curious about.
The name Diana Pressona keeps sticking in my head and I need to go back to her grave. I want to know more about her for some reason. "Varya look!" I'm sitting on a park bench with my eyes closed when Jason yells to me. I look up at the water and see a big sailboat. It's beautiful. My dad has a sailboat and he used to take us in it all the time. The first time I was nervous but after he convinced me he knew what he was doing I enjoyed my time in his little blue sailboat. Mom tells us she has a surprise for us so we follow her to this secluded area in the sand. There's a wall with divots and bumps. "I used to climb this with my sister" she tells us. "Can I climb?" I ask but she tells me no not after what happened at the cemetery. The memories came flushing in. "Cmon climb with me" It was a little girl, the same girl from my dream. "Diana please it'll be fun" I agree and now we're climbing the wall together. "Mom have we been here before?" I ask my mom and Jason replies before she can. "We've never been here Varya, mom told us before we came" he was right but I could've sworn I had been.
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After a long walk back to the motel we go for a swim and then get ready to go to the cemetery. I'm upset we're leaving early but after a text from Ace I'm glad I'll get to go home and be able to hang out with my friends. My friend Angelica is throwing a party tomorrow and I told her I couldn't go because I thought I'd be here but now I can tell her I'll be back home. Angelica's been my friend since kindergarten. I knew her even before I knew Ace. Weve never really hung out much out of school but in school we always end up having classes together so we always hang out in class and talk about who we have a crush on and who we think is hot or not. I can't really do that with Ace since he's still awkward with talking about that kinda stuff which I totally understand and that's what Angelica's for. She's been dating this guy named Tanner for a year who I totally think is cute but I'm not trying to start drama so I would never tell her how I feel about him. Anyways I text her and tell her I can go to the party and she says there's only a few girls going so she might cancel but I suggest that she just turns it into a sleepover. I've never really fit in with her friends. Angelica's popular and I'm not so going to a party with some of her popular friends gets me anxious. The reason we don't hang out outside of school is because she's with her popular friends so why would I want to go just to be the outsider? I don't know but somethings telling me I should.
Before we drive down to the cemetery we pack all of our things in the car. After visiting the cemetery we're just going to drive right home. Mom tells me not to walk to far away if I need to but I already have my plan. I'll sneak away like I did last time and hope she doesn't see me. Okay not the best plan, but I don't have a better one. I just need to see this grave. I feel a connection that I can't explain with Diana Pressona. Something I've never felt before. And now with all these dreams about her I'm starting to feel like I'm connected with her. As we pull up I realize I'm here for my grandma and she's more important so I follow my mom and Jason to her grave. She brings a couple more flowers and sets them down next to the ones she brought a couple days ago. We all say a prayer for my grandma. I decide I should tell my mom I'm going to take a walk since there's no possible way I can sneak off and she agrees as long as I stay close. I walk and I walk fast. Diana Pressona where are you. There's so many gravestones I can't remember the exact place she was buried. I'm looking and looking but the grave is nowhere. Time is running out, my mom begins to stand from her kneeling position and calls out "Varya!" Oh boy I need to find her. I decide to run down one last row before leaving. "Varya hurry up." There! I'm loving memory of Diana Pressona. Amazing daughter, sister and friend. Born August 20th 1939 - Died October 4th 2003. I'm shocked. I take a step back from the grave and begin to run back to the car in disbelief. October 4th 2003, my birthday. I contemplate whether this means something. Either way I don't know what to think. All I know is I need to find out more.
