Green Hearts

Chapter 34

I trod after him slowly as he navigates the way between headstones that look all alike to me

As if to make life even spookier than it is, there's a wet fog complimenting the damp weather and it look like it's creeping towards me like in the Hunger games movie

I gasp inwardly

What if it's laced with poison like the movie?

What if this whole town is a setting for the game's grounds???

I stop and stretch out my hand slowly towards the fog. I can see my finger trembling and I'm not sure if it's from the cold or cause I think I'm reaching into poison

My hand reaches it and nothing happens

Huh! Who would have thought?

"What are you doing?" I hear Jace's voice and my attention snaps back to him. He's standing five feet away and staring at me like I've grown a second head

"Hmm? Me?" I ask him "Nothing. Nothing" I walk back up to him

"Are you still drunk?" He asks me, peering like the answer is written on my forehead

"That is a very good question that I'm not sure I know the answer to yet" I slap away the hand he presses to my forehead and march on

"Where are you going?" He asks from behind me

I turn "To the...." Then I stop "Ohhhhhh"

I don't know where I'm going

He takes to leading the way again and follow behind him while trying to get my overactive imagination in check

Did Muna drug me? I swear I wasn't this jumpy when I woke up in...

"Ow" I rub my sore forehead that bumped into Jace's back. I'm about to complain when I notice the ghastly expression on his face while staring at two tombstones laying side by side

Don't need Jarvis, Friday or Karen to know that we've reached our final destination

Ha! Marvel jokes never get old

"Not to be insensitive Jace but why did you bring me here?" I ask him

He doesn't reply, just stands staring at the graves so I shut my trap and count the moments till I'm out of this scary place

My mum is in a place similar to this and way less creepy but I don't visit her. I only ever saw her resting place when we put her six feet under

I couldn't. I could never go to her with all the remnants of our last moment together lingering in my mind and hunting my dreams

"My mum died of cervical cancer. I was removed from her womb before that and kept in an incubator" his calm voice breaks me out of my daze

My eyes just watch him without responding. He's standing stiffly like he doesn't know what to do with his hands or how best to appear before his parents

"My dad, suicidal, made sure I was strong enough before dropping me at the orphanage where I grew up with just a name and no ties before he followed his wife"

Now I'm feeling awkward standing by their graves as I listen to Jace

"I turned 18, was about to publish my novel and leave the orphanage when I was approached by his lawyer" he pauses and heaves a sigh "He left everything to me; money, house and coincidentally, a seat in his publishing company"

I'm not quite sure why I'm here or why he's baring himself to me but I bask in the confidentiality and smile warmly at him even if he can't see it

Even without knowing it, everyone has a sad side to their story