well, it sure has been a while. I'm sorry about that guys. My readers have been awful quiet lately and I haven't been so desperate to update my stories. I'm a little scared that my stories are boring or something... Nooo...
Anyway, here's a new chapter for you guys, I hope you enjoy it and I'm sorry for any mistakes. Please don't forget to review and give me feedback! And I'll see you next update.
When mummy and daddy finally returned after receiving a call, they pulled me into their arms, babbling useless words of comfort. I didn't care though, I was just glad that I was in their arms again. When they saw Jack's body, they did their best to hold back their tears but to no avail. Jack still looked like he was in perfect condition, pale and beautiful, so peaceful he looked like he was simply sleeping. It was like he was suspended in clear ice, preventing any change of any sorts. I don't know about the details, I was far too young, but as my mummy and daddy grieved, they stalled in preparing for any funeral. Instead, some relatives helped take over that job, ones who could actually stay composed long enough to make the arrangements. I was given time off school and I spent majority of it in my room or in the park near our favourite pond. I looked like some lost child, and in a way, I was, without my Jack to guide me, to protect me, what was I going to do? I hated how everything reminded me of him, sure, I never wanted to forget, but I was reminded of his limp body, his still features and the silvery blood that left his dying heart as if to escape. I was afraid to go into his room and every time I did, pain ripped through me and I would scream and cry. Mummy and daddy would come rushing, thinking I was injured when the only pain I could feel was from the hole Jack had left in my heart. My friends barely ever saw me, and the adults thought that it would be a good idea if they came to see me, to help distract me or something. However, all but one of my friends got bored with my silence or crying and often left me to mourn. Funny that, this tragedy helped me see the true friends I had. Mary was the only girl to stay with me. Maybe it was because she had a similar loss like mine and knew how it felt. Either way, she supported me, by just being there, practically saying nothing and encouraging me to eat. That was another problem I faced; I stopped eating. Either I was just never hungry or I just couldn't bring myself to put the goddamn food in my mouth. I lost so much weight, mummy and daddy took me to the doctors to help me. I'm glad mummy and daddy were able to keep looking after me. Maybe it was their promise to Jack. They were strong, and I felt loved.
My parents were busy in the living room with my aunts, talking about the funeral, so I left, putting on my outdoor shoes and strolling away to the park. It was late summer, and the park was alive, fresh and happy. Even though my world had stopped, everything went on around me. I didn't know what to think of it and I think I ended up ignoring it anyway. Sometimes I would walk and walk, watching the lush, green canopy pass over high above me, sometimes I would sit on the bench for hours, watching. But every time, I went to the pond. Our pond. His pond. The biggest landmark in my life. I sat on the bank, my feet outstretched before me, and my eyes glossing lazily over as I stared into the depths. I watched the motionless pond stare right back at me, waiting for me. After some time, I sighed and stood up, making my way over to the edge. I clung tightly on to the little monument in my hands. It was his snow globe, inside was Santa on his sleigh, flying through the blizzard. Another one of Jack's favourite things. I tossed the snow globe into the pond and watched the terrific splash it made, the pond cackling in delight before calming down. I had been doing this a couple of days after the accident; sneaking into Jack's room and taking his belonging, one at a time. I would take his favourite things, stuff that held memories and magic. Mummy and daddy never noticed their absence since they never went inside his room. I took Jack's things and threw them into his pond because I felt that it was the safest and best place for them. This was his pond and now it was full of his things. I threw everything in, something's I had to tie rocks to them so that they would skink. The only thing I refused to toss in was his staff. Sometimes, if I stared at it long enough, I could see Jack leaning against it, laughing at me or giving me is best smiles.
For even longer, I stared at the pond. Until the ripples died away, until the evening flies emerged, until I had a strange thought. I turned and ran, my feet pattering across the summer ground as fast as I could, all the way back to my house. I crashed through the back door and bolted to the front until I came to a dead stop in front of my parents who were saying goodbye to my aunts.
"The pond!" I gasped, out of breath.
"What is that sweetie?" Mummy asked.
I tried to take deeper breaths, "The... pond... Bury Jack there... The funeral... Can be... At his pond..."
Mummy and daddy were a little hesitant to reply but my aunt took over.
"You mean the pond you and Jack went to all the time?"
I nodded.
"Well, that is a splendid idea little Pippa! Do you like it, Kate?" She asked my mum.
"W-well... What does she mean?"
"Why, have the funeral at Jack's favourite pond of course!"
I decided to explain, "I don't know whose tradition it is, but some people place the coffin on a lake or river and... I don't know what happens next... And I think it's the Vikings..."
My daddy came over and picked me up, holding me in his arms so I was now eye level with the adults, "It's a beautiful idea. We can sail Jack's coffin across the pond you both loved so much. How about it, Katie?"
Mummy smiled at us. She looked tired and aged, not like my beautiful mummy I had a week ago.
"Of course," she said, her brown eyes shining with tears, "we shall arrange for the funeral to take place at the pond, okay Pip?"
I nodded and buried my face into my dad's shoulder while my aunts left.
How could a day get anymore beautiful? The sun shone strongly through the trees which were now half green, half on fire. The leaves had stained yellow, orange, red and brown, like the sun's rays were too much and had burnt through. They were falling gently, at a gradual pace, drifting in a dream-like state. They flitted and twisted through the wind, the same wind that snaked through my hair, making my chocolate locks sway behind me. The warmth of summer was just at an end and you could feel the cold breeze prying its way through the thick summer air. The pond looked beautiful, decorated with candles that floated around in flower shaped boats, white in colour and twirling slowly like ballerinas. The flowers were my idea, as well as pretty much the whole funeral. I hoped that Jack would like it, wherever he may be. Black figures surrounded me, just standing around and talking quietly. I was the only one who refused to wear black, for black showed fear and Jack had taught me never to give in to it. Instead, I was wearing my favourite white dress, with little frills and a daisy chain I had made myself around my head like a tiara. Clasped in my hands was Jack's beloved staff, it's beautiful embroidery embedded in my hand, I held it so tight. You could say that I looked like a lonely ghost, staring out into the pond as my dress and hair swayed hauntingly. To be honest, I really felt like I was; I had lost my Jack, my brother and my best friend. Behind me, people were taking seats, the only sound was the trees whispering to each other. I think they were talking about Jack. It was a medium sized funeral, with our close family members and friends, including my own, Mary. Jack had friends, two boys, Peter and Hugh. They were friendly enough, supporting and sympathetic. The knew of Jack's bond with me. I wondered why Jack never made the effort to makes friends with a girl, let alone a girlfriend. He told me that the only girl he needed in his life was me and that he would love me more than he could love any other girl. Jack always knew how to make me feel beautiful and loved.
Now that he was gone, so was everything that went with him.
"Pippa, sweetie?" Mummy said from behind, her delicate hand pressing on my back' "It's time,"
Clutching his staff tighter, I nodded and followed her to take our seats at the front. Perched between my parents, I stared directly at the beautiful coffin beside the little podium. Such a stunning piece of craft was the coffin, the chocolate swirls of wood highlighting Jack's youth and sweet nature. It was open, revealing Jack's peaceful beauty to the forest. I had insisted that he was dressed in his favourite blue hoodie and his old brown pants with the string around the calves. His feet were left bare as he practically lived his life barefooted. He was lying on a bed of white flowers, like a celestial halo, they surrounded him in their bloom. A man of some importance began to speak about why we were here, talking about him and how we will not take his loss as a burden, but as an opportunity to cherish him. I had ran out of tears for him, and simply stared, my face devoid of emotion. I wasn't depressed for I wasn't feeling nothing, I was feeling a lot. Over the past few days, more emotions would add to my grief; lost, love, gratitude... Fear. Seriously, what was I going to do without him? Mummy and daddy were away a lot so Jack meant more to me than any old brother. Who was going to chase away the nightmares at night? Who was going to sing me to sleep with my favourite lullabies? Restore my beloved memories? Keep my hopes up? My wonder growing? My dreams flying? The fun in my life?
I was so focused just staring at my Jack, that I hadn't quite noticed that friends and family had begun to stand at the podium to talk about Jack and how he enriched all of us. With the autumn leaves still falling around us like a dream, I waited, listening, until I was called up for the final part.
With a shaky breath, I stood up, and dragged my concrete feet towards him. With his staff in my left hand, the other reached up to lightly stroke the tips of his bronze spikes, wild as ever and shining like sunlight.
"... Time to close your eyes," I whispered, "but when you're awake... Still dream..."
I placed his staff beside him, lifting his arm to hold it by his side. He looked so complete with it.
"Love you..."
I stepped back as the adults lifted the wooden box with him inside and led him towards the pond. When they reached the shore, the continued to walk in, the warm water, heated by the embrace of summer, accepting the people as they stepped in, wading until they were waist deep. Then, they released him, setting the box free to drift into the centre of the pond. Jack's little boat pushed past the dainty flower candles, the black glassy water rippling beautifully as it reflected the autumn trees and white sky. The friends and family members stepped out of the pond to join us in watching Jack's departure. As I watched him drift away, I noticed that something was... Off. Then it happened, rather suddenly leaving everybody too stunned to act. The coffin began to sink! It was the strangest sight I had ever seen for I knew that practically everything within the coffin and the box itself should float on water! But here it was, like the pond was swallowing him whole, everything but the hundreds of white flowers vanished under the black water. There were cries of dismay and confusion to this strange happening as the water bubbled a little while longer where he once was.
"Oh, someone do something!" A woman cried.
"What is going on?!" Shouted a child.
"Quickly! We need to retrieve him!" Said a man.
I quickly snapped out of my stunned silence at the last statement and ran screaming at the adults and stopping them in their tracks just before they reached the waters edge. My arms were flung out wide and my brown eyes were also widened.
"Leave him!" I cried, "Oh, please leave him!"
My mother came rushing and held on to my little shoulders, "Pippa, darling, you don't understand-"
"No! You don't!" Fear was etched on my face, "You can't move him, he wants to be here!"
Mummy's face was contorted with pain and her lips trembled, "But, Pippa... If we leave him here he will ruin the pond..." I could tell that my mother really didn't want to tell me this and that there was no other way of saying it, especially under this stress, "The pond will make children sick if they swim here,"
"Then stop them from swimming here. Let them play only when the pond is frozen solid and they can skate here!"
Mummy was about to argue further but then my dad bent down beside her and mumbled something in her ear. She nodded then turned back to me.
"Alright, he can stay."
The ceremony continued for nearly another hour but then came the time for us to go and have dinner together in memory of him. I was walked away, my hand held inside my mother's as she led me home. I looked back, adults were still milling around the pond, almost like they were waiting. Before the pond was ripped from my sight, I noticed something I hadn't before; Jack's staff was floating innocently in the centre of the pond. Pulling a hard face, I promised my Jack that the staff shall always remain there, in the centre of the pond. Even if an adult removed it or took it to my home, I would find it and return it to him. No one will have my Jack's staff.
In the following days I learnt they the adults had lied to me and had gone to retrieve Jack's body anyway. I threw a complete tantrum and refused to talk to my parents until they were finally able to get me to listen. The thing was, they never found his body. Only the coffin was recovered and try hard as they might, the recruited divers simply couldn't find the boy anywhere.
"See?" I sneered angrily at mum and dad, "I told you that he wanted to stay there."
Mum and dad were able to keep the extraordinary story from the papers and asked everyone who attended the funeral to keep it quiet. Poor mummy was distraught about it and I felt sorry for making her feel bad. I apologised and told her that it was okay, even if Jack had seemingly vanished. Even with my promises and comforting, the adults refused to take my word for it and placed it down to something much darker. They thought that somewhere between the ruckus, someone must have stolen Jack's body for some sick purpose. But I knew better. I knew that the pond would always look after Jack, give him a home, somewhere to return to. It was never going to give him up just like that. I was also right about the adults trying to remove his staff but they soon gave up after the ninth time I returned it. I just don't get adults. They always seem to do things that they don't want to do. What for? Jack always seemed miles from growing up. He reminded me a lot of Peter Pan, a fairy boy that Jack would read to me about. Even when Jack looked mature, and had mature thing happening around his life, being seventeen never stopped him from making me smile like only he could.
I was going to miss him.
