"Red? Little Red?" Wysteria hears the nickname and a memory jolts through her of a boy with a toothy grin and shaggy hair. She turns slowly. Behind her is a lanky guy with hair almost as long as hers, if not longer. His head is tilted slightly in di...
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〖 chapter iii: AN UNEXPECTED GUEST 〗
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Wysteria was sitting in the back seat of a police car, the first in a long line of police cars heading to a nearby cemetery. Through the rearview mirror, Wysteria could see the police cars all flashing their lights, a tribute to their fallen officer. Wysteria had finally heard, in not so many words, what had happened to her father. It wasn't something dangerous, or related to his police work. It was so much more mundane than that. Wysteria remembered being afraid as a child that her father would be killed in the line of duty. What she should have been worried about though was her father dying of a heart attack in a supermarket.
Officer Chase and Captain Ford sat in the seats in front of her, neither of them talking. Wysteria felt immensely uncomfortable sitting in a car with them, especially since they couldn't play music of any kind. She didn't know what to say to them and they obviously didn't know what to say to her so Wysteria kept her eyes forward, watching the black hearse move slowly through the city streets.
Grace had offered to sit with Wysteria and the officers in the car but Wysteria told her she would be fine. She wishes now though that she had just accepted Grace's offer though instead of pretending to be strong. Wysteria could really use Grace's comforting aura at the moment as she wrung her hands nervously. Captain Ford had asked her if she would like to speak at the grave site. The thought made Wysteria's mouth go dry. Speak? What would she even say? She couldn't even look at her fathers body at the wake that was held just two nights ago.
Despite this, Wysteria told him she would say something. She knew though, that the scribbled words on the scrap of paper in her purse wouldn't be enough. How could she talk about her father? What could she say that wouldn't make her burst into tears? Wysteria felt sick to her stomach.
All too soon, they had arrived at the cemetery. Wysteria's heart was pounding in her chest, much like it had been that day when Officer Chase had picked her up at school. Slowly, Wysteria got out of the car with the Captain and Officer Chase. Wysteria watched the back doors of the hearse open. She watched the pallbearers emerge from the cars and make their way towards her as she slowly walked towards her fathers casket. Wysteria could feel Officer Chase's hand on her shoulder.
