Epilogue
Fern stepped into Elwood City High's library and took her usual hiding spot in the stacks. The school counsellor's grief club had gradually expanded in members over the final months of the previous school year, and now, after a particularly dreadful summer, the club had expanded to fill the entire section of the library. Fern watched as Sue Ellen, who was voted president of the group, took her spot at a podium provided by the librarian, who watched at the edge of the shelf closest to Fern.
"Good morning those who are struggling with grief, living with grief, and striving despite grief. My name is Sue Ellen Armstrong, and almost one year ago, I lost a very dear friend of mine, Fern Walters. When I first lost Fern, I blamed myself. Her death was a suicide, and I thought our encounters in the weeks leading to her death were the cause of many of her struggles. Since her death, we have mended our relationship, and we have discovered that despite the hardships she endured during her lifetime, the future is always brighter when it is handled the right way," Sue Ellen said, looking over the group, "Some of you have lost friends as well, but other have lost loved ones, family members, or other special beings. No matter who you lost or how you feel about your loss, you are welcomed here, and we shall accept you as our friends, our brothers and sisters, in grief."
"Thank you, Sue Ellen," Buster said, standing up and taking the podium. Fern snickered as the counsellor glared from her spot at the back of the room. Buster slipped a stack of colorful index cards into his left jean pocket before pulling a stack of plain cards from his right pocket, ending the glares from the counsellor. "I am Buster Baxter, your vice-president, and I would like to begin today's discussion into the act of moving on after grief. We understand this is a more advanced topic for new members with very recent struggles, but you can learn from those who are further along in the stages of grief and take in our lessons even if you're not ready. Today, we'll start with Arthur Read, who will speak on behalf of his sister, DW, who also lost her best friend almost a year ago in a tragic pool accident. Arthur?"
"Thanks, Buster," Arthur murmured. The counsellor gestured for him to speak up, and Arthur did after clearing his throat, "Last year, my sister went to a get together with her best friend, Emily, who had just returned from a trip to Paris. They were playing in her family's pool when she hit the diving board wrong and...passed away. DW was heartbroken, and though she was able to receive a gift from her friend after her passing, it took several months for DW to move on.
"Let me clarify the meaning of 'moving on.' Moving on is not defined as forgetting who you lost or what you lost, and it is not defined as pretending who or whatever you lost never existed in the first place. Moving on, for my sister, was swimming again, even if she can't go to the deep end, and making new friends, even if your old friend was all you ever needed in the first place. Moving on for DW meant moving on with her life without forgetting the dear friend she lost," Arthur said, nodding to the group before taking his seat. Buster patted his shoulder as the counsellor took the podium again. She asked for new members to introduce themselves and who or what they lost, and Fern took the opportunity to move into an adjacent classroom, where a new ghost friend of hers, Olivia, was enraptured by a literature professor discussing a novel by William Faulkner. Fern tapped her shoulder and the girl looked up with a smile.
"I'm glad you convinced me to come here. While I enjoy Dr. Henry's discussions about literature, it's nice to know how the other side lives," she smiled, following Fern to the school's cafeteria, where another new spirit, Antwone, was watching his old friends put up banners for upcoming celebrations for the school's homecoming game. He wrapped his arms around the girls and sighed happily.
"I'm glad you two are at home here. You haven't pulled too many tricks, have you?" Fern asked with a grin. Antwone smiled wickedly, "No more than usual, Miss Fern," he said with a heavy Mississippian accent. "I was just telling myself that some of those balloons needed to migrate to the other side of the room, but now that you've said something, I'll wait until after the final lunch period to switch things around," Antwone winked.
"Oh, Antwone!" Olivia giggled. When she was done laughing, she turned to Fern, "Were you happy to see your old friends again?" she questioned. Fern nodded with a light smile. "The grief club seems to be successful, both here and at Rosewood Academy. Do you think the new headmaster would approve a joint meeting at the community center?"
"Seeing that Prunella graduated last year and she was our events coordinator, we'll have to find someone to take her place first," Fern explained. Prunella was now a student at Elwood City Community College studying communications, but before she left Elwood City High, she became a fully accepted member of the grief club. Even though the counsellor forbade any talk of spirits or ghosts being real, it was a well-known fact that Prunella was clairvoyant, and many newcomers would turn to her in case their friends or loved ones remained behind. With Prunella's help, Fern helped get messages to these spirits, and most newcomers had already crossed over by the end of their first weeks. Some spirits like Olivia and Antwone, however, needed to stay behind to work out their own problems. Both of them needed to experience a proper high school experience, and Fern was happy to help them achieve it.
"Earth to Fern," Antwone called, waving his hand in front of Fern's eyes, "How do you think this display looks?" he asked. Fern smiled as she looked to the homecoming decorations, "They look wonderful. I like your idea of spreading the balloons around too, but do it later. Olivia, are you going to the science lecture at Rosewood Academy?" Fern asked, tapping her watch. Olivia nodded, and the two were soon outside the science lab of Rosewood Academy as students transitioned to their next class.
When Olivia moved inside, Fern went to the journalism classroom. The new leader, Mrs. Parks, was a much better professor than Dr. Hopkins. Not only was she not having affairs with the students, the scholarship students she chose to be a part of the journalism staff were all deserving of their positions, and if they weren't, she offered to help them improve their work rather than rejecting them without explanation. As she began the official journalism class, Fern sat at the back of the room, listening intently, until Pat entered the room and sat beside her.
"I was hoping I'd find you here. We have a newcomer at Grebe Middle. I know you haven't been back there yet, but Mother insisted we get you there eventually," Pat winked. Since Fern asked the women to leave, they had a mediation session to discover exactly why they were similar to Savanna's initial group and why they didn't belong there either. Since then, Fern worked with them to improve spiritual conditions in the community, and Pat kept Fern well-informed about the goings on in the area, and about the past of those remaining in the area, including Fern herself.
"Well, it wasn't the school that made things hard from me," Fern smiled, standing up and moving into the hallway. "The people who went there made it difficult, and I hear they have a new journalism teacher as well," Fern said, taking a deep breath before picturing the school as she remembered it. When she opened her eyes, she and Pat were just outside the front office, where a scared pre-teen stood next to the door.
"Why can't anyone see me? Why can I go through the door but it won't open?" he pleaded. When he realized the girls could see him, he cried out and dove into Pat's arms, "Please, I want my mommy! Help me get back to my mommy!" he screamed. Pat hugged him before asking him who his mother was. He told her, and soon they were outside his home. His mother wasn't there, but his father was inside yelling at someone on the phone. According to the conversation, his mother had been involved in a car accident but their son, aka him, was unaccounted for. Fern sighed at the tense situation as a woman met their gaze.
"Andrew!" she called. The boy ran up to the woman, and after their reunion, both of them disappeared behind the house. Pat sighed heavily, "Well, I guess that was an easy one, but it's hard to see. Back to Rosewood Academy?" she asked. Fern shook her head, so Pat disappeared without her.
A few houses over, Fern recognized her own childhood home. She recognized her mother's car in the driveway and walked over. She peered into the windows and realized the house was much cleaner than when she was last there. Fern went inside and moved through the house. Everything was in its place, though some of the furniture had been rearranged. Fern moved into her old bedroom and found it clean but as she left it. When she heard a voice, she moved downstairs into her mother's office. Her business cards sat piled on the side of her desk, new business cards with a new company's logo on them.
"Hi, this is Mrs. Johnson calling to inquire about your listing. I have a few clients interested in the property," she said happily. Fern gave her mother a perplexed look until she looked down. A wedding photo was on the corner of the desk. Her mother had finally remarried, and Fern realized she couldn't be happier for her mother. She decided to check up on her father, but then she remembered that she wasn't sure where he was. He'd moved away from the city about six months after Fern's death, his second marriage just as much a failure as his last. Fern wasn't sure where he went, but she hoped he was alive or at least settling his problems with good people like Fern found when she first passed.
Fern went back to Rosewood Academy, where she met with Olivia in the cafeteria to watch the students in their antics. They joked about the school's current fads, wondering how long they would last. Pat arrived a few minutes later with a new copy of the latest issue of the school paper. Fern looked it over, happy with the contents, as a flash of the local newspaper filled her memory: Mrs. Baxter was eventually able to print Fern's articles, including the proper version of her final article for Grebe Middle. Fern smiled at the memory, then she noticed George walking to his table. George was now a student at Rosewood Academy due to his wood carving skills, and Fern was happy to see him thriving. She had regrets about how she spent her childhood, how she moved schools to avoid her problems, thus leaving him behind, but she knew she would have to accept things like that. She exhaled slowly before laughing at another one of Olivia's jokes. When Olivia was finished, she looked to Fern with a serious expression, "I was thinking the other day about Sue Ellen. Does she still write her diary entries to you?" Olivia questioned.
"She does, and they've gotten more positive now that her parents have officially divorced. Her mother doesn't live far from my mother, and her father has stayed overseas where he belongs. The Frensky's were only able to work through their problems because he wasn't around, so it was a blessing for both families. Sue Ellen hasn't been able to see me since that night despite my amulet, but we'll see each other again one day," Fern smiled. Olivia grinned as Antwone appeared with two slices of pizza, "You guys gotta hurry! The lunch ladies dropped a whole pan of food and it all got put in the incenerator!" he cheered. Fern and Olivia shrugged and decided to join him, but Pat stayed behind.
When the girls were finished devouring pizza along with Antwone, they returned to Rosewood Academy for a book club meeting. It was only for those who were a part of the afterlife, and it was a way for the people of Lady Montgomery's time to appreciate the school during times of social function. Fern chose a newer title for their current discussions to get those of Lady Montgomery's generation to understand newer literature better, something she'd been trying to do since Pat presented the idea to her. So far, they still appreciated the older titles better, but at least Fern and the younger spirits could enjoy them as well.
By the end of the day, Fern was done with her duties and free to roam the local neighborhood or read in the clock tower. Tonight she chose to walk the neighborhood and enjoy the quiet sounds of a peaceful time. After the scadalous post made by Muffy and her friends, the Crosswire's and the families of the girls were shunned by most of the citizens of the area. Most of them moved away, but the Crosswire's remained. Fern walked past their house and spied Muffy sitting in an upper room, her expression blank as a foreign teacher paced the room beside her. Fern smiled to herself. Muffy had gotten a full dose of life after her post, and though no one ever discovered how the topics were even posted, no one particularly cared about any excuses Muffy and the others tried to make. Muffy was friendless, and whatever disgusting game she used to play with the others was now very much over.
Fern kept walking, passing the empty house of Emily's family. After Emily passed away, the family moved permanently to France, but they chose not to sell their house because of the dangerous pool inside. Fern knew they tried to cover the pool not long after they left for Europe, but the contractor set to do the job was an older man living his last days. He had a heart attack in his home and passed on peacefully, but the spirits knew about it because of how much of an affect young Emily had on them, especially Fern. She almost held her breath as she passed the house for fear of disturbing the young girl, but the memory of her passing over after learning Fern could deliver her gift flashed in her mine, putting her at ease.
Fern continued walking and founder herself at the home where Savanna's remains were found. The homeowners were eager to help detecitves locate them, and when they discovered the truth, they filed a civil suit against the contractor for an undisclosed amount of money. Fern learned then why so many people were surprised that she was a kind-hearted suicide: The contractor hung himself at the Elwood City Pennitentury, and his spirit returned to the home as a vengeful being. Prunella's family handled the situation, banishing them with strange relics no one particularly believed in until the spirit was fully banished. Fern was happy the family continued to help the community, even though Rubella left home to live in downtown Metropolis.
Savanna popped into Fern's mind as she walked around the perimeter of the house, careful to avoid any relics the Deegan's left behind. She could picture her sliding coffee cups around a table to confuse the rightful owner, and she could vaguely see her pulling down the fire alarm on a Friday afternoon to alleviate the boredom that was school. Overall, however, Fern missed her for the friendship they forged in those few short days, and Fern hoped deep down that her parents really were able to find closure when the authorities finally gave her a proper burial.
As Fern continued her walk, she found herself at the field where Francine and her team were packing up their equipment for the night. Fern sighed as she saw Francine. Through everything, her hatred for Fern was still very much apparent. Even once her mother's affair went public and was confirmed as true, Francine still protested Fern's articles being republished in the newspaper. She had at least stopped talking bad about Fern and what she did in the past, but her true thoughts about her were obvious, and many of their former classmates tried to stay away from Fern now that the truth had been revealed. Only Jenna remained her friend, but Fern knew that Jenna was actually loyal to her, and she often wrote in her diary about how much she disliked Francine. Fern wondered how their relationship would transform over the coming years, but she knew that in the end, their friendship would not be as lifelong as Francine might expect.
Eventually, Fern found herself at one of Elwood City's largest cemeteries, Pleasant View. She walked through the rows, not knowing who most of the people were until she reached an area of the more recent members of the dead. Principal Haney was there and Fern sighed heavily. She wished she'd gotten to see him one final time before he passed, but his death was sudden, and many members of the community felt the same way. Mementos and bottled letters littered his tombstone, and Fern thought of reading a few of them before deciding it was best to keep walking.
In the next section, she found Emily's tombstone, which was carved from a pink quarz into the shape of a ballerina's shoe. Fern touched the tombstone carefully, letting her fingers run over the two dates. It hurt her to see dates that were so close together, but unfortunately, she knew if she looked through Pleasant View long enough, she would find dates even closer together. She exhaled slowly and looked down to her letters. She recognized one with DW's handwriting and smiled to herself. She'd recommended that method to her through Prunella, who passed along the method to Arthur during a private meeting. DW had recovered well from her loss, and Fern patted the letter affectionately before moving to another area.
Eventually, Fern found the tombstone she'd waited a long time to discover: Her own. Her mother could barely afford her services, she learned later, which was part of the reason her father's new wife decided she was better off without him. He was so guilty for losing Fern so soon that he paid for everything, from the services to the tombstone. He also continued supporting her bills after Fern's death, and that was the final breaking point that ended his second marriage. Fern felt awful for that, and she did regret her parents' feelings. Now that she knew her mother was remarried and enjoying life, she was a little more comfortable with her decision. She sighed heavily as she brushed a few leaves from the stone and pictured her favorite room of Rosewood Academy. She arrived just as Olivia finished flipping through a magazine.
"Did you enjoy your walk?" she questioned. Fern nodded solemnly before sinking onto the floor and looking out the clock face window. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself...I guess," she smiled, picking up another magazine from the floor. "I was hoping you could tell me more about Savanna. I love her magazines, and there are so many of them. How did she even get all of these?" Olivia asked. Fern shook her head, "Honestly, I didn't get to know her that well, and I never asked where she got the magazines from. I guess you just acquire things over the years.
"But I can tell you about Savanna," Fern smiled turning to face Olivia. "Savanna was outgoing and playful. She did a lot of the things I told you guys to not do if you could help it, like spying on devious people or playing pranks that might hurt someone. It's fun to move something, but not fun if you cause them pain, but I'll admit, she did know how to have a good time. She had an entire group of friends that would go to parties, and they had so much fun. I got to go to one party with them, and...well, considering I never went to any parties while I was alive, it was a treat," Fern smiled.
"Well, what else can you tell us about her? We know that part, Olivia, but what about the rest? How did she pass, for instance?" Antwone asked. Fern shook her head; she would not share that information with anyone who didn't already know for themselves. "Come on, you can tell us. What if we need to know? What if it's going to help us?" Antwone pleaded. Fern shook her head again, "I couldn't break her trust like that. One day, if you discover it for yourself or if she magically comes back and tells you, so be it. But I can tell you how she crossed over even though I missed it," Fern offered. The two young spirits nodded sternly. "She went after living a full afterlife, which is what I'm trying to do. She had as much fun as she could, then, she went on one final mission. She decided to make sure I would be okay with my life's touch decisions, and that I would be okay going on without her if I decided not to cross over. Then, she handled her own final business. She sought after one last mystery, and when it was complete—even though we didn't realize it was complete for ourselves—she left us and moved on to the other side."
"That is so beautiful," Olivia whispered. Fern nodded in agreement as she picked up her latest book, "She was a beautiful person. I would wish she was still with me, but I know she's where she wants to be, and me, I'm where I want to be. Maybe one day, I'll be like her and decide to move on, but Lady Montgomery has been here since before this school was founded, and her daughter has been here almost as long. I can stay as long as I want, but...I guess one day if I want to see my mother agaid or my father, then I might move on. You have to think about those things before you make your decision."
"Do you know if Savanna has been reunited with her family?" Antwone questioned. Fern shook her head, "We don't know what's beyond the light until we go ourselves. So, one day, I'll discover for myself if Savanna and her parents reunited, but I think they're both gone now. I think they were waiting for them to find her, but I'm not sure. Maybe we should go look it up."
The group agreed, and a few minutes later, they were inside the journalism room's computer lab. Fern turned on a computer, still very happy with her god-like control over technology, and navigated to an internet search engine. She typed in Savanna's name and found related news articles, which allowed her to discover the name of Savanna's parents. She searched for them, and she almost immediately found obituaries for both. Olivia, who was standing at first, sank into a nearby chair.
"Wow," she whispered. "I hope they're all happy together. And the news stories look so sad on the surface. Do you mind if we look it up on our own one day?" Olivia asked. Fern shrugged, turning off the computer. Antwone composed himself and moved towards the door, "Well, Olivia, I think we need to listen to Fern and let Savanna's afterlife speak for itself. Just like with Fern here, who cares how she went? I just wish I could've partied with her and that Catherine chick because they were f-u-n, fun!" Antwone exclaimed.
"Catherine was a good, fun person. I didn't get to know much about her, but she had connections to the school. Her afterlife proved that no matter what your life was like before you get here, you can still be unhappy. Savanna and I came from similar backgrounds; Catherine came from an opposite background. In the end, we had to create our own happiness, I guess," Fern shrugged, moving into the halls of Rosewood Academy. They each returned to the clock tower, and Fern watched as they settled into their normal resting areas. When Fern was satisfied with how they were settled in, she moved outside to the bleachers. She looked up to the starry sky and wondered what else was out there, laying back on the cold metal to get a better view. A shooting star crossed the sky, and Fern closed her eyes and tried to think of a suitable wish.
"I wish, I wish...," she began, her mind still blank. Finally, after a little more thinking, Fern came up with a suitable wish, "I wish, I wish, that this next year brings us far less tragedy, that the people of Elwood City realize that it's not worth it to lie and cheat on each other, and...I wish that one day, my friends and I will finally be reunited so we can have a proper friendship."
Fern opened her eyes again and pictured Sue Ellen sitting at her computer, typing out her latest diary entry. It was a password protected journal, but Fern quickly learned it was her own name, and she read each entry to follow Sue Ellen through life's journey. Because of this, she knew that one day, when they were properly reunited, they would have plenty to talk about that was in the present rather than piles of things in the past.
Fern moved inside, settling in a few feet from Olivia. She looked out the clock's face and sighed softly before falling to sleep.
~End
A/N: So, this is the end of my NaNo 2014 novel. I'll be honest, guys: I feel crazy for writing this whole piece in 2 days. I started writing at around 12:02 Friday night, aka as soon as it was November 1st; I went to bed around 1:15, then I started up again the next morning. It's insane how fast the words flew from my fingers. I didn't know how this piece would go, but I had some basic ideas in mind, so I just...I wrote this whole thing in 2 days.
Sadly, this means my 2014 NaNo experience has come to an end. I expected to either not finish at all or spend multiple weekends trying to work through this while abandoning school projects, so it's a relief to have it out of the way, but I feel a little bummed. I'm unhappy with this piece. It should've ended so much sooner than it did. Sorry for all the worthless fluff for those who read all 50,000 of these words:) The idea feels a little strange to me still, and I feel like the piece repeats itself a lot. But, I finished, and truly, that's really all I wanted in the end.
I'll leave this at that. Whether you like the piece or hate it, I honestly don't care (I mean, I hope you like it, but if you hate it, that's not my problem:P). I'm just happy I did something I've never done before.
[Note: This A/N will not be included in my final NaNo word count]