Missing in Action

Epilogue

Missing in Action

Epilogue

Louis' P.O.V

It was raining. It slipped down the window of the car and onto the black metal below.

I turned my attention to the car ahead. Inside was an empty coffin, but we were burying it anyway in a grave that would be marked with Cassidy's name.

James was sat next to me in a black uniform and he had a black hat on his head. He was staring ahead at the car in front as well.

We were both going to speak about her. Something which I knew I would breakdown at some point in the middle of.

We were approaching the Royal Navy base now, but that wasn't where the funeral was taking place. All of the flags were on half mast, and each of the ships let a single drone from their horns.

5 people were playing The Last Post on shiny trumpets as the car crawled past. Service men and women saluted the car in front, saluted Cassidy. Some even had tears in their eyes.

James wiped under his left eye and he mumbled something under his breath.

We carried on through the streets. People had gathered in silence on the pavement to pay their respects. I didn't understand it, none of them had ever known Cassidy. Perhaps they had seen her a few times around Portsmouth, but half of them probably hadn't.

I could hear Jane sobbing close to the front of the car, and Edward failing to comfort his grieving mother. I didn't blame her; the lose of Cassidy might kill us all inside.

The car began to climb steadily up a hill towards the cliff top. I could see an area of faint white in the distance.

We weren't burying her out at sea like so many were if they had died in action, but we were putting her to rest in the Royal Navy graveyard. I was told that it was a beautiful place, but I knew that wherever Cassidy was buried, I would hate even after I was dead.

The car pulled to a stop by a white marble arch. Everything was made of cold, white marble that reminded me of the frosts of winter.

A group of six soldiers took the coffin out of the car in front. I recognised two because of the symbol that had been Cassidy's uniform on their uniforms. They must have been Peter and Ben.

The coffin was covered in a large British flag with a small Welsh flag covering that. The dragon's eye stared at me.

As we got out of the car, James nodded to them. It was his silent way of telling them to stay strong. They nodded back.

It must be so hard for them. They had had to do this twice in the past four months.

We walked behind the progression as it went towards a small area where an area for the speeches had been set up under a white canopy for those who weren't Navy personnel since they didn't seem to mind standing in the rain.

I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to Cassidy.

The Admiral stood behind the stand from which we were to make our speeches. Cassidy had never been religious, so Jane had asked for the church bit to be skipped.

Everyone went quiet as he cleared his throat.

"As most of you know, I never speak in many funerals. It's the officer's captain's job, but I had to be here today. I knew Lieutenant Davis very well and I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that Lieutenant Davis had died," he said.

The only sound that could be heard now was the pouring rain on the top of the canopy. I couldn't hear the seagulls anymore, or the ever pounding waves that had surrounded us before the Admiral had begun to speak.