Six Feet Under
"The second, when a they are lowered into the ground"
Places: Cemetery, Chapel
Companions: The Little Girl and The Shadow Woman by the unmarked grave
The funeral was to be at sunset today. It made Gilbert sad that he was to be buried so quickly, but there was little anyone could do. The night before Elizaveta, Roderich, Antonio, Francis, Feliciano, and Lovino had come in to town. They offered condolences, as a gathering for the dead would go, and went to their hotels, to prepare for the next day.
At service, Gilbert decided to walk his way over to the church. As he passed by a newer building he noticed a young girl whose clothing was old fashioned, singing as she skipped in a circle. As if on a loop. This confused Gilbert, so he went up to her and began to talk to her.
"Hello, are you alright?" He asked
The girl broke from her routine, "Oh Yes, I'm just waiting for my Mommy and Daddy." She continued to skip
"What year is it?"
"Oh, Nineteen-Forty Four I believe."
"You know it's actually not."'
"But my Daddy and Mommy wouldn't leave me here all alone."
"I'm sure they wouldn't but quite a bit of time has passed."
The little girl blinked her eyes. She looked around. "Gee, this place has changed, mister…"
"I guess it has."
"Hey, that person just walked through me! Talk about rude!"
"Honey, they can't see us."
"Why is that?"
Gilbert paused for a moment. How do you tell someone they're dead? Much less a child.
"Well, come on, don't waste my time."
"We're dead. Ghosts."
"You're lying."
"I wish I was" Gilbert dug his hand into the pockets of his pants and looked away.
"You're not. Momma taught me how to tell."
"Yeah. Sorry I disturbed you." Gilbert then questioned the point of talking to her.
"Hey Mister, where are you going?" she ran up to him her big blue eye curious.
"A funeral."
"Whose funeral?"
He paused, swallowed, and then spoke. "Mine."
The little girl just looked at him for a moment. "No wonder you looked so sad."
Gilbert laughs. He didn't even consider how he looked.
"What's your name, Mister? I'm Ada." Ada puts her hand out to shake it.
"I'm Gilbert, it's nice to meet you, Ada." He withdraws his hand from his pocket to shake hers. Then began to walk away.
"Hey, wait up! Let me go with you so you aren't so lonely."
"Are you sure, you barely even know me."
"I know you're sad and alone. So come on."
Gilbert sighed. He could tell she would be the type to not give up easy and he was still tired. "Okay. Follow me."
.
.
.
By the time Gilbert and Ada had gotten there they were in the middle of Ludwig's Eulogy.
"Who's the man speaking?"
"My brother, his name is Ludwig."
"He's just as sad as you."
" Probably feeling even more lonely, too."
"Why's that?"
"He has a hard time communicating."
"Oh. Well, he's communicating very well how he loved you through his speech."
"I know, I'm very proud of him."
Ada smiled. The pair stopped conversing when Ludwig stopped, and the Minister continued the service.
There wasn't much left but to close the coffin to take it to the cemetery. Then was when people said their final words, left their gifts
Ludwig with teary eyes approached the coffin and laid Gilbert's iron cross across his body's chest. Gilbert's form tensed. He didn't think it was right. Gilbert rushed to the coffin and focused on the cross but could not grip it.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
"I can help you out."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I just want to send the necklace to where you want it to be. I need you to do that for me."
"Okay."
The brown haired girl touched the necklace with one hand and with the other hand she takes Gilbert's hand and places it on the cross as well. During this time he focuses on the bedside table within his room. At the next moment, it is gone.
"See it's simple." She says with a grin and tilt of her head. After that, Ada disappears.
Surprised, Gilbert calls for her, he checks all around the chapel trying find the young girl. Just as he gives up, the living closed his coffin and began the process of taking it to the cemetery.
"I can't spend all my time searching for her, right now. When the funeral's over I'll drop by where I found her."
With that Gilbert dug his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked out into the street, following the hearse.
.
.
.
Gilbert watched his friends and family from afar on a bench beneath a tree that had lost all its leaves. It is at this point he is surveying the cemetery around him. Many of the gravestones around him are older and seem to not have family to tend them. The Graveyard itself had an eerie feel to it, from the fog lingering near the ground, to the labyrinth like layout of it. Newer and shorter graves swirled out from the center which had bushes acting as tutelary to the graves within the center.
The fact the sun was setting didn't make Gilbert anymore comfortable. He felt although the cemetery was a malicious place to be after dark. It was getting cold as well, and strange as it was, he felt its effects and wanted to go home.
Gilbert zips his red hoodie up then continues to pull the hood up in an attempt to warm himself. From the corner of his eye he sees a white light dart into the center of the graveyard. Curious he follows its path.
Through the bushes, which formed a maze themselves, the white light seemed to wait for him at every corner. The light led him into a secluded corner where four graves laid. Each one had a Stargazer Lily etched on to the top. That was all one could distinguish, the names and dates had either been omitted or weathered away.
As he was examining the graves he was thrown from the path. When he looked to the person responsible for the act, he was greeted with the sight of a large white beast twice the size of that of a lion and who bore great fangs and paraded razor sharp claws. The Beast's three tails where long and floated in the air. It had neither eyeballs nor nose but had the sockets and ears. It roared and charged Gilbert. Who only closed his eyes.
"Be gone!" A Woman's voice rang out.
Gilbert looked up to see a Woman dressed completely in black, who held her hand out against the Beast who snarled in return.
"Be gone, or I shall annihilate you!" Her voice firm and commanding.
The Beast vanished as a puff of smoke.
"A lone spirit should not wander in these parts." She offers her hand, which Gilbert accepts.
"I was just curious."
"Other not so lucky spirits would say that as well." Gilbert tried looking through her veil but it seemed although it was shadow.
"What is your name?"
"Gilbert Beilschimdt. And yours?"
"Mine is forgotten." She points to one of the lily graves.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"No need to be."
"Maybe I should go." Gilbert began to leave but the Woman latched onto him.
"You're not a typical spirit, are you Gilbert?"
"No. Not typical at all."
"Know that you have power."
"What kind?"
"I cannot say. I'm not allowed. But as an unusual spirit myself. I know."
"What power do you have then?"
"The one that began when my grandchild was born."
"Okay, then."
"Gilbert, you're being called. I'll go with you." The Woman took his arm and pulled him through the maze to where his coffin was to be lowered into the ground.
There people were throwing flowers in. Elizaveta slowly tossed in a purple Hyacinth. Being the last to throw their flower in next she picked up a hand of dirt and threw it into the ground.