They Know Me

CRUMBLING

Without knowing how I'd gotten there, I found myself walking under a half moon towards my parents' gravesite. During the day, its grounds were brightened by the sun, but nighttime ... things remained hidden among the shadows and I was battling against my fear taking over. Finally, I reached my parents' oversized shared headstone and started to place the flowers I'd brought for them on top ...

A hurried whispering of my name stopped me. With my hand still suspended above the smooth marble, I looked around. No one stepped forward from the shadows, but I could feel that I wasn't alone. Quickly, I placed the flowers and turned to leave ...

Suddenly, the scenery changed. I was inside of Cemetery Raven, running away from someone I couldn't see as he chased me within a dense fog. Though I didn't know who he was, and hadn't even seen his face, I could sense danger. Desperate to get away, I tried to outrun him, but my legs hardly seemed to move, and no matter how hard I tried to make them, they wouldn't cooperate. I could hear the footfall of my pursuer getting closer ...

Frantically searching for a place to hide, I spotted an area where the cloud was thinned, and ran to it. I reached it and turned. Just beyond the screen of mist, I could see him. No longer running, he was about to emerge and put a face to the horror ...!

Something startled me awake. Still caught up within my burgeoning nightmare, I gradually began to recognize where I was – my bedroom.

Thinking it had been my fear that had awakened me, and grateful not to have to face my tormentor, I got up and went to the window that faced down the street, parted the lacy curtains, and gazed out. The sky was cloudless. The moon was sharp and beautiful ... and under it, in varying shades of gray, Cemetery Raven was a portrait of stilled perfection.

Downstairs, the doorbell rang. Irritated by the interruption, but curious to know if Rhys had come by even though I'd said I wanted to be alone, I went to my bedroom door and opened it.

It was Mrs. Fimmel, Rhys' mother. "Frank and Catherine were such great friends, but I just could not bring myself to go to their funeral."

"I'm sure Ashe understands – it was hard on everyone," I heard my aunt reply. She paused before continuing, "I'm worried about her. She's been quieter than usual."

"She's strong. I know she'll pull through this," Mr. Fimmel said.

"Well, Rhys had her smiling earlier. Maybe he can help bring her out of her shell."

I closed the door. I'd heard enough.

I wanted to get out of the house, but I knew if I went downstairs, I'd be bombarded with an avalanche of unwanted adult concern. Feeling trapped, I went to stand at the window facing the street and gazed out at my aunt's front yard. "Why couldn't the tree be closer?" I bemoaned quietly.

The phone on my nightstand rang, but I ignored it as I continued to stare out of the window and watch Rhys' parents walk back across the lawn to their house and go inside. They'd been close friends with my mom and dad, and I knew they were hurting, but I couldn't help them. I couldn't even make my own pain go away.

There was a light rap on my bedroom door. My aunt opened it and peeked around the corner. "You're up." She entered, leaving it open. "Honey, I have two things to tell you. The first is unpleasant. There's somewhere I have to go tonight." There was a lengthy pause and I braced myself against what she would say next. "Rhys' parents came by to check on you, but to also let me know that Mr. Kennerly, a friend of mine, has died. The viewing is tonight. I know you probably won't want to, especially with the recent ..." Looking at a loss for words, she stopped.