He had been digging for nearly an hour, his muscles flexed as he flung the dirt over his shoulder. Perspiration gathered on his forehead as he exerted himself to break up the earth beneath him. His shirt clung to his chest by patches of sweat, while smears of dirt were across his face. Richie continued working, removing the dirt from above Alex's coffin.
So much time had passed that he had almost forgotten about Alex. A few months after meeting Alex, when now word came, it simply slipped his mind. It wasn't until he got a call from Joe, notifying him that Alex had died, did he remember everything. Richie borrowed Mac's car and sped the entire way to Roswell. Once inside Roswell he headed straight for the cemetery and the ceremony still going on. Richie waited, watching from a distance. After everyone had left, Richie decided that it might be safe to finally dig up Alex. But the tall blonde he had seen before showed up alone, she knelt at the base of the tombstone and just started crying. Richie couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could see her sobbing as she tried to speak. After some time she finally left, Richie wanted to start digging right away, but decided it be better to wait until after dark.
Richie stopped digging when he felt his shovel hit something solid. Tossing the shovel aside, Richie knelt down and started to push the dirt aside with his bare hands. After a few brushes the lid to the coffin was revealed. Richie opened the coffin and looked inside. There Alex Whitman lay undisturbed. Grabbing Alex's body by his shoulders, Richie pulled him out of the coffin. Mustering his strength Richie crawled out of the grave, carrying Alex's body with him.
While he waited for Alex to revive, Richie closed the casket, and began to replace the dirt upon it. Nearly twenty minutes had gone by and Alex's body had yet to move. While digging Richie glanced from time to time to where Alex's body lay. He felt sorry for the boy, the boy had lost everything. Richie himself was Alex's age when he became immortal, but at least he knew about immortals before he became. The thought that he would be immortal never even crossed his mind.
Richie was close to being finished when Alex's eyes shot open and he gasped for air. Immediately Richie dropped the shovel and knelt beside Alex.
"It's okay just breathe," Richie said putting a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"What's going on?" Alex asked struggling to sit up. "Where am I?"
Richie didn't know what to say, he had gone through the exact thing years ago. And yet he didn't know how to break it to the kid that he was an immortal now.
"Hey Alex, do you remember me?" Richie asked.
Alex struggled for a moment to remember, then a look of recognition crossed his face.
"Yeah I remember you," Alex said. "We met last year at the crashdown."
"That's right," Richie said.
"Where are we?" Alex asked slowly panning his head from left to right.
"Roswell Cemetery," Richied replied preparing for Alex to panic.
"Why am I in the cemetery?" Alex asked with a frightened look.
"Because you died," Richie said.
"What?" Alex asked looking at Richie wide-eyed.
"You were in a car accident," Richie started to explain.
"No, I didn't die in a car accident," Alex said with determined certainty.
Richie was taken aback for a moment, never had he seen such a look assurance. Of course he believed that the boy was merely in denial about the thought of being dead. But his curiosity got the best of him and he decided to press the issue.
"Then how did you die?" Richie asked.
"I...I...," Alex started, a variety of expressions crossed his face. "I can't remember."
"Listen, right now I don't know what to believe," Alex said. "But I do know that I didn't die in a car wreck."
Richie decided that the boy was probably suffering some form of Amnesia. Probably brought on by the accident itself. Richie stood up, and offered his hand to Alex, who promptly accepted it.
"Listen I'll explain things to you on the way to Seacouver," Richie said helping Alex up. "Just let me finish filling the hole, and then we'll..."
"NO!" Alex cut him off as he stood up.
"What?" Richie asked
"Listen, I don't know what you're trying to pull but this isn't funny," Alex said backing away from Richie. "I'm going to go home, take a shower, go to sleep, and meet with my friends. And you will stay away from me."
"Alex what I've told you is the truth," Richie said pointing towards Alex's tombstone.
Alex eyed the tombstone for a moment before speaking up.
"Nice try, but that's fake," Alex said. "I'm outta here."
"You can't go back Alex," Richie said taking a step towards him.
"And why not?" Alex asked.
"Because you died," Richie said.
"Oh will you give it a rest already," Alex said. "If I died, then how am I still alive?"
Richie took a deep breath before answering Alex.
"You're alive because your immortal," Richie said.
Alex stared at Richie with a blank look on his face, until he burst out laughing. Richie simply stood there for a moment, letting Alex get it out of his system. He knew it would be hard for Alex to deal with, but Alex laughing at the idea of being immortal was something that hadn't occurred to him. He decided that there was only one way to prove it to Alex. Richied turned around, his back towards Alex.
"Say what are you doing there?" Alex asked still chuckling.
Richie turned facing Alex, his sword in his right hand. At that moment Alex stopped laughing, his face grew pale.
"What are you going to do with that?" Alex asked nervously.
Richie quickly reached out and grabbed Alex by the wrist ignoring his protests to let him go. Richie brought the edge of the blade to Alex's hand and slowly dragged it across the palm. Alex cried out in pain, and tried to jerk his hand away. But Richie held firm until he had made a deep gash. When he was finished he released Alex's hand,
"Aaaaaarrrggghhh!" Alex screamed in pain. "Are you crazy?"
"Look at your hand," Richie said firmly.
Alex looked and was amazed as he saw what seemed like bolts of electricity make it's way across the wound. After several seconds the wound was completely healed, no scar or anything. Alex reexamined his hand several times before finally looking up at Richie.
"Wha-, how?" Alex stuttered before he fainted.
TBC...