The funeral was very beautiful, the room was a beautiful crimson red, her casket was a stunning white, lined with her favorite flowers; lilies, tulips, pink roses, and babies breath. She had worn her favorite Sunday dress, someone was singing softly:
Her beauty in the moonlight over threw you, she tied you to the kitche cair she broke your throne and she cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the hallejuah, hallelulajh hallelujah hallelujah. Well baby I’ve been here before, ive seen this room, I’ve walked this floor, I used to live alone before I knew ya, and I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch. It’s a cold, and broken hallelujah, hallelujah. Well maybe theres a god above, but all I’ve ever learned from love, is how to shoot some body who out drew you. And its not a cry, you hear at night, its not somebody whos seen the light, its a broken, and cold hallelujah.
The tears stung my eyes, and the back of my throat grew tight, it was her favorite song, a song she used to sing to me, every night, when the shadow monsters, tried to get me. My little brother was crying, and I couldn’t understand why. He was here, for a short four years, and he didn’t understand dead. Not like me at least, the way I understood death, was much more complicated then he. And yet, he still cries, he still mourns over my grandmother. MY grandmother, the one he didn’t truly know, only I, could understand why I was crying for her. She, was the only one who understood me, and this curse that was placed upon me. When I walked up to her casket, I kneeled down, and I bowed my head. Within the screaming, a calm voice, came to me.
“My dear Starlight, there will be many challenges you must face, and some, will hurt you physically. Don’t allow them to rule you, rule them. Keep that crown up high, be a queen and walk among this living, knowing what you can do, is for the greater good…”
As I opened my eyes, I saw her lips weren’t moving, they were still, her eyes were closed, and her long silver hair wrapped around her shoulders. Her chest didn’t move, she wasn’t breathing. She was still, she was dead. My vision had begun to grow foggy, and I didn’t quite yet understand what my duty was, and what I should do. But I got to my feet, when my mother approached me. Behind her, I watched a black shadow emerge from her, standing tall, its talons wrapped around her tightly. It didn’t register me, it didn’t know I was there. As we crossed each other, I had reached out to my mother, and she looked at me, her eyes were dead, there were no tears. No emotions, nothing underneath her mask.
“Let it go mom.” I whispered, she just shook her head at me.
“You’ll never understand Stella, never.” She snatched her arm away from me, and glared.
“No, you’ll never understand.” I spat back, she just looked away from me.
Her own hair, had slowly grown gray. Always it was a beautiful chestnut brown, and mine was black, just like my grandmothers. I, had looked just like my grandmother when I was younger, and my mom hated it. My mom hated the fact, that my grandmother had treated me, more of a daughter then she did her own daughter. As I returned to my seat, a older gentleman was sitting next to me; I didn’t know him from Adam. But he, when he looked at me, he gave me a bright smile, and patted the seat beside him. I sat down, and I kept looking forward.
“And you are?” I asked, he gave a chuckle.
“I’m your grandfather.” He replied, my skin grew cold, and my body shuddered. When I turned to look at him, I couldn’t see any bleeding wound, anything physically that would’ve killed him. The only thing that was off, was that he had no hair, and was a bit pale. His lips were a soft pink, and he was real skinny…that was about it.
“You’re my grandfather?” I asked, he gave a nod, and kept looking at my grandmother.
“She grew to be much older, and aged beautifully.” He gave a smile, and I watched a tear fall from his eye. I had no idea, spirits could actually cry.
“That’s the thing, I’m not a ghost, I’m not a lost spirit.” That smile had never wavered. His hands were clasped in his lap, and his back was set up straight.
“It was her time, and I’ve come to pay my last respects, before I find her once more.” He started to stand.
“Stella, I know you’ve heard this, from her a lot. But, do not take it lightly. What you have, drives most people insane. We are real, and most of us, do need help. It’s why we come to you. It’s why we came to her. Your mother, just wasn’t born with a gift as strong as yours. And she refused to admit the fact, she even had a little bit of your grandmother in her.” His steel eyes, had closed, the smile faded.
“Being dead, is a lot harder then the spirits play it out. Some, feel every little thing that they felt, before they died. And some, feel nothing.” He nodded to my mother, returning from the casket.
“That thing on her, will be the death of her. You better get to her fast, before it finishes her off.” When I looked to my mother, and back to my grandfather, he was already leaving.
“Wait! What is it?!” I replied, he looked over his shoulder, as he was crossing the threshold.
“A pain so deep, it becomes real.” He looked to the young singer.
“She has a pretty voice, but her voice can never outmatch yours…” He gave a wink.
“Stella? Who are you talking too?” My mother snapped, when I turned to look at her, her face had grown pale, when I turned back to the threshold, he was gone. Of course he was…he wasn’t even alive. I shook my head slowly, and I stayed still, listening to the woman sing.
How did he know that I sung? I thought, fiddling with my fingers. The screaming grew quiet, and my little brother curled against my mother, when I looked at her once more, the black mass was wrapping around her more, whispering into her ear. I wanted to reach out, to help her…but she wouldn’t allow me.
“Mom…” I whispered, she looked at me, and the thing looked at me, it was dead. It wasn’t anything, but negative energy. I could feel it suffocating me.
“What?” She snapped. I reached out, and gently took her hand. I held it gently. Her eyes filled, and the tears fell down her cheeks. I felt the pain, I felt the deep agony from within her. I bit my bottom lip hard, and I tried to keep the emotions at bay. But I couldn’t help it. The sob came, and I looked at her. My mother, was crying with me.
“Please Mommy…let it go. I can’t lose you too.” I pleaded. My mom let my hand go, and pulled me into her, she hugged me, and my little brother, for the first time together, in so long. I heard her heart, pounding away.
“You’re not going to lose me…I promise…” She kissed the top of my head.
“So you say…” I thought, holding onto her.
“After everything, we need to talk mom…” I looked up at her, and she gave a nod.
“A talk…yeah…”