Chapter Six
Annabel was still having doubts, or more her stomach was still doing flips every time she thought, about Cassie's funeral. She was once again wearing the black dress that belonged to her mother, as well as black gloves that Randy had insisted that she wore. Instead of just her and Randy attending Cassie's funeral, her whole family had decided to attend; not that that surprised Annabel, she couldn't imagine them missing Cassie's funeral.
After making sure she was ready, Annabel joined the rest of her family down stairs, smoothing out her dress.
The car ride to the funeral was silent and seemed to last forever, even though it was no longer then ten minutes. The funeral was being held in a large park outside the Pasadena Capitol Building where Cassie's parents worked.
Many people were already gathered outside, they looked like a massive black cloud. People from all over town were attending, even if they hadn't even known that the Connors had a daughter. Most of Cassie's friends from school were attending as well; they were all huddled together, crying and talking about the late Cassie's parents. Gathered among the mourners were Cassie's parents; her father had a grave face that showed no emotion but her mother's face was tear streaked and her eyes were red. People that had worked with the Connors were offering some sense of support for her parents but it was really no use.
Annabel exited the car and walked beside Randy toward the main part of the park where the eulogy would be held, including Cassie's open casket. Annabel left Randy's side as he walked toward some of Cassie's friends; she walked toward a few empty seats. She wasn't halfway to the seats when a black cat bounded out of some nearby bushes and ran in front her; Annabel jumped back without thinking and let out a short gasp. The cat disappeared without looking back.
Annabel backed right into someone; she turned around to see who it was. It was Joshua, dressed for the funeral, as he had been for Sara's mother's funeral. Annabel wasn't surprised to see Joshua standing there, but she was surprised to have backed into him.
"Sorry, the cat it just surprised me." Annabel apologized as she turned around to face Joshua.
"That's all right. Look, I know this seems out of place right now but a black cat crossing someone's path is supposed to mean death for someone in that person's family. It's a death omen." Joshua said.
"A what?" Annabel asked, feeling chills run down her spine.
"A death omen; it's something that predicates death. Like the cat predicates death for a member of the person's family." Joshua answered.
"Oh." Annabel muttered, an eerie feeling set over her. "What are you doing here?" Annabel asked, trying to change the subject.
"I came to attend Cassie's funeral; my parents are here too, we didn't even know Cassie but they wanted to come. To 'show their support for our town's mayor and his wife' or something like that." Joshua answered.
Annabel just nodded; she stared at Joshua, unable to shake the eerie feeling that had set over her.
After a few more minutes of silence, Joshua excused himself and left Annabel alone, she was still lost in thought about what he had told her.
Annabel walked numbly over to the group of chairs and sat down, still lost in thought. Her train of thought was lost when Sara walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Annabel let out a short gasp and turned around.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." Sara apologized and sat down beside her friend.
"That's all right, I was just thinking that's all. I didn't notice you come up." Annabel muttered, looking over at Sara.
"Oh. Hey, I noticed you talking with Joshua what's-his-face; what's all that about?" Sara asked, looking back at her friend.
Annabel looked away from Sara. "Nothing, it was nothing. He just wanted to talk." Annabel answered.
Sara shrugged and the two friends sat in silence until it was time for the eulogy to begin. They both stood up and walked over to the place where the eulogy would take place; more then hundred chairs were lined up in rows of twenty. There was a wide berth between the casket and the first row of chairs; standing right of Cassie's casket was the priest.
Annabel didn't see Randy anywhere as she sat down beside Sara; she wondered if he had already seen Cassie's body. Annabel couldn't even picture what Cassie's body would look like, after the car explosion and the concrete slabs.
Everyone else attending the funeral sat in seats and continued talking amongst themselves; some of Mrs. Conner's friends began to cry and wipe their eyes with wrinkled tissues. It looked, to Annabel, like a scene out of a movie.
Annabel wasn't surprised when she spotted Joshua; he also spotted her and Sara and made his way over to them, taking a seat beside Annabel. The three of them had little time to say anything other then "hello" before the priest stood at the podium, which was almost directly in front of Cassie's casket. A hush fell over the crowd and all that could be heard were somewhat oppressed sobs from some of the women.
Annabel looked around for Randy and the rest of her family; her parents and other two brothers were sitting in the second row but Randy was nowhere to be seen.
The priest began to speak, reciting prays and offering words of comfort but they all fell on deaf ears. Annabel wasn't paying any attention to anything the priest said; she was once again lost in thought.
Once the priest was finished speaking, it was time for the Viewing; row-by-row people stood up and walked to Cassie's casket, placing roses around it and uttering prayers.
When it was Annabel, Sara and Joshua's row's turn to view the casket, Annabel lingered in her seat before joining Sara and Joshua in walking toward the casket. As they neared it, Annabel's dream returned to her; where was Randy? It was too much like her dream; Annabel hung back before slowly walking up to the casket.
Lying in the casket was the body of Cassandra Conner; her face was almost unrecognizable because it was somewhat burned and lots of makeup was applied to keep it from looking too grotesque; her limbs were also somewhat burned and her lower body was horribly crushed.
Annabel let out a short gasp as she looked at Cassie; she looked just like she would have imagined her looking after the horrible events in her "vision". Joshua rested his hand on Annabel's shoulder and Sara offered her friend a look of condolence as they walked away from Cassie's casket.
After everyone viewed the casket, it was closed and lowered into the nearby grave; everyone standing around the grave was crying, including Cassie's father. Finally, Annabel saw Randy, though she almost immediately wished she hadn't. Randy was a complete wreck, his eyes were red and his face was tear streaked, the look in his eyes was suggesting that he had just had his heart torn out. Annabel couldn't bear to see her brother that sad; she looked away from him.
After Cassie's casket was lowered and had disappeared, everyone scattered over the funeral site. No one left but everyone seemed to form into groups and talk about other things aside from the funeral.
Annabel, Sara and Joshua all sat down at one of the tables; the tables were covered with a black silk tablecloth and there was a vase of three blood-red roses on each table. They sat in silence, each lost to their own thoughts that they didn't wish to speak.
The eerie serenity was broken by Randy who came to join the three of them; Joshua gave up his seat beside Annabel for Randy. Joshua went to sit beside Sara. Randy lowered his head and began to cry; all Annabel could do was sit and watch her brother weep.
Annabel was still having doubts, or more her stomach was still doing flips every time she thought, about Cassie's funeral. She was once again wearing the black dress that belonged to her mother, as well as black gloves that Randy had insisted that she wore. Instead of just her and Randy attending Cassie's funeral, her whole family had decided to attend; not that that surprised Annabel, she couldn't imagine them missing Cassie's funeral.
After making sure she was ready, Annabel joined the rest of her family down stairs, smoothing out her dress.
The car ride to the funeral was silent and seemed to last forever, even though it was no longer then ten minutes. The funeral was being held in a large park outside the Pasadena Capitol Building where Cassie's parents worked.
Many people were already gathered outside, they looked like a massive black cloud. People from all over town were attending, even if they hadn't even known that the Connors had a daughter. Most of Cassie's friends from school were attending as well; they were all huddled together, crying and talking about the late Cassie's parents. Gathered among the mourners were Cassie's parents; her father had a grave face that showed no emotion but her mother's face was tear streaked and her eyes were red. People that had worked with the Connors were offering some sense of support for her parents but it was really no use.
Annabel exited the car and walked beside Randy toward the main part of the park where the eulogy would be held, including Cassie's open casket. Annabel left Randy's side as he walked toward some of Cassie's friends; she walked toward a few empty seats. She wasn't halfway to the seats when a black cat bounded out of some nearby bushes and ran in front her; Annabel jumped back without thinking and let out a short gasp. The cat disappeared without looking back.
Annabel backed right into someone; she turned around to see who it was. It was Joshua, dressed for the funeral, as he had been for Sara's mother's funeral. Annabel wasn't surprised to see Joshua standing there, but she was surprised to have backed into him.
"Sorry, the cat it just surprised me." Annabel apologized as she turned around to face Joshua.
"That's all right. Look, I know this seems out of place right now but a black cat crossing someone's path is supposed to mean death for someone in that person's family. It's a death omen." Joshua said.
"A what?" Annabel asked, feeling chills run down her spine.
"A death omen; it's something that predicates death. Like the cat predicates death for a member of the person's family." Joshua answered.
"Oh." Annabel muttered, an eerie feeling set over her. "What are you doing here?" Annabel asked, trying to change the subject.
"I came to attend Cassie's funeral; my parents are here too, we didn't even know Cassie but they wanted to come. To 'show their support for our town's mayor and his wife' or something like that." Joshua answered.
Annabel just nodded; she stared at Joshua, unable to shake the eerie feeling that had set over her.
After a few more minutes of silence, Joshua excused himself and left Annabel alone, she was still lost in thought about what he had told her.
Annabel walked numbly over to the group of chairs and sat down, still lost in thought. Her train of thought was lost when Sara walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Annabel let out a short gasp and turned around.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." Sara apologized and sat down beside her friend.
"That's all right, I was just thinking that's all. I didn't notice you come up." Annabel muttered, looking over at Sara.
"Oh. Hey, I noticed you talking with Joshua what's-his-face; what's all that about?" Sara asked, looking back at her friend.
Annabel looked away from Sara. "Nothing, it was nothing. He just wanted to talk." Annabel answered.
Sara shrugged and the two friends sat in silence until it was time for the eulogy to begin. They both stood up and walked over to the place where the eulogy would take place; more then hundred chairs were lined up in rows of twenty. There was a wide berth between the casket and the first row of chairs; standing right of Cassie's casket was the priest.
Annabel didn't see Randy anywhere as she sat down beside Sara; she wondered if he had already seen Cassie's body. Annabel couldn't even picture what Cassie's body would look like, after the car explosion and the concrete slabs.
Everyone else attending the funeral sat in seats and continued talking amongst themselves; some of Mrs. Conner's friends began to cry and wipe their eyes with wrinkled tissues. It looked, to Annabel, like a scene out of a movie.
Annabel wasn't surprised when she spotted Joshua; he also spotted her and Sara and made his way over to them, taking a seat beside Annabel. The three of them had little time to say anything other then "hello" before the priest stood at the podium, which was almost directly in front of Cassie's casket. A hush fell over the crowd and all that could be heard were somewhat oppressed sobs from some of the women.
Annabel looked around for Randy and the rest of her family; her parents and other two brothers were sitting in the second row but Randy was nowhere to be seen.
The priest began to speak, reciting prays and offering words of comfort but they all fell on deaf ears. Annabel wasn't paying any attention to anything the priest said; she was once again lost in thought.
Once the priest was finished speaking, it was time for the Viewing; row-by-row people stood up and walked to Cassie's casket, placing roses around it and uttering prayers.
When it was Annabel, Sara and Joshua's row's turn to view the casket, Annabel lingered in her seat before joining Sara and Joshua in walking toward the casket. As they neared it, Annabel's dream returned to her; where was Randy? It was too much like her dream; Annabel hung back before slowly walking up to the casket.
Lying in the casket was the body of Cassandra Conner; her face was almost unrecognizable because it was somewhat burned and lots of makeup was applied to keep it from looking too grotesque; her limbs were also somewhat burned and her lower body was horribly crushed.
Annabel let out a short gasp as she looked at Cassie; she looked just like she would have imagined her looking after the horrible events in her "vision". Joshua rested his hand on Annabel's shoulder and Sara offered her friend a look of condolence as they walked away from Cassie's casket.
After everyone viewed the casket, it was closed and lowered into the nearby grave; everyone standing around the grave was crying, including Cassie's father. Finally, Annabel saw Randy, though she almost immediately wished she hadn't. Randy was a complete wreck, his eyes were red and his face was tear streaked, the look in his eyes was suggesting that he had just had his heart torn out. Annabel couldn't bear to see her brother that sad; she looked away from him.
After Cassie's casket was lowered and had disappeared, everyone scattered over the funeral site. No one left but everyone seemed to form into groups and talk about other things aside from the funeral.
Annabel, Sara and Joshua all sat down at one of the tables; the tables were covered with a black silk tablecloth and there was a vase of three blood-red roses on each table. They sat in silence, each lost to their own thoughts that they didn't wish to speak.
The eerie serenity was broken by Randy who came to join the three of them; Joshua gave up his seat beside Annabel for Randy. Joshua went to sit beside Sara. Randy lowered his head and began to cry; all Annabel could do was sit and watch her brother weep.
