Alright, here is the next chapter of 101 Oneshots. The name? Death.
I felt the tears running down my face, but I didn't try to stop them. Valerie Gray doesn't normally cry, but I have to make an exception this time.
Because I was going to see the proof that this wasn't just a bad dream in a few minutes. It was just so unreal, this whole thing. I didn't want to believe it. But, I had to. I seen the death with my own eyes.
I walked into the cemetery with flowers in my hands. They were yellow roses... Her favorite.
I felt my tears falling from my face as I walked forward, past some of the old graves. I had this strange feeling, and I had goosebumps, but I didn't care.
My watch was beeping, but I couldn't hear it through my sadness. She was so young. She had her whole life in front of her. And to rob her from that life was just cruel on fate's part. Especially with her death being from a ghost attack. It makes me feel sort of like it was my fault she died. Because I couldn't save her.
Slowly, I walked forward, my instinct pulling me toward the grave I had visited only hours before after her funeral. Although I had only visited it that one time, the path to her grave was memorized at such an extreme, it was like walking.
That's when I heard a voice coming from the direction of my friend's grave. "I'm sorry." The voice spoke. I recognized it from somewhere, but I didn't care.
I just had to get to her grave to visit her again. The thought of someone else being at her grave gave me a mixture of feelings. I was both happy that someone else actually cared enough to visit her, but I was also angry and upset as I wanted to be alone when I visited her headstone again.
But then my sadness at her death overran those two emotions. I wouldn't be feeling them if she hadn't died in the first place. I closed my eyes and followed the path through the cemetery, avoiding the graves of other people with ease.
That's when the voice repeated what it said earlier. "I'm sorry... I should have been able to save you." It whispered, and I opened my eyes.
Standing in front of her grave was Phantom. He didn't deserve to be at her grave. He's the one that caused the whole thing! He caused her death. "What are you doing here?" I hissed out, and he slowly turned. "This whole thing is your fault. What did you come here for? To walk all across her grave in victory?" I spat out, letting anger fuel me instead of sadness.
Quickly, I wiped away my tears, but they were quickly replaced with new ones. I expected a witty remark from Phantom, or maybe even a smug grin. He slowly turned around, and instead of what I was expecting, there was a look or sadness on his face. And something else was there. Regret? Or was it guilt? He whispered something so quietly, I almost didn't pick it up. "Your right. This is my fault."
Quickly I stepped towards her grave. "Move." I ordered. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't have been fighting there, if you hadn't have dodged that blast, she would have lived!" I snapped out, my voice cracking in the middle of the sentence. So much for not showing him my weakness.
Phantom held his head down, and he floated to the side. "I know." He admitted. "I should have just turned her intangible. I should have seen her there. But, I didn't. I couldn't save a life..."
The sight of her grave made me tune out his words. It was just me, and my friend's final resting place. I quickly walked towards it, and bent down to my knees to see the headstone.
I had to have proof that she was truely dead. But sadly, it was there.
Star Ella Rayne
1992-2007
A great friend, daughter, and sister.
You will always be missed. Shoot for the stars in your afterlife.
I slammed my fist to the ground. Here was my proof. "No..." I muttered. "You can't be dead. This is all just a bad dream. You aren't really dead!" I told myself. "You aren't dead! Tell me that this is all just a huge prank! You can't be dead!" My tears streamed down my face like a river, but I didn't care.
Times like this, it's OK to cry. It's natural to cry at a death, especially one of a friend. Valerie Gray can cry at a time of death. I just can't cry in front of other people.
A hand landed on my shoulder in a comforting manner, and I didn't care that it felt cold. "I can't believe she's really gone." I said, my voice cracking once more at the word 'really'. "She's survived through the worst. Star always pulled through in the end. She lived through her parent's divorce, she lived when her dad died of cancer, and she survived when she had cancer. How can a simple ghost attack kill her? It's not fair!" I ranted.
Sobbing again, I wiped some of my tears away. "She was one of my only real friends. Both of us did pretty much everything together, until Paulina came. I guess it's because we both have lost a parent. We both knew what it was like, so we each gave each other a shoulder to cry on." I told the person, not even knowing who it was. "She was so strong through everything, and she was still a happy person. She was so optimistic even through the worst situations, and that's something I loved about her."
I held my head down, and I looked at the freshly moved dirt. "Star, if you can hear me, please know that you'll always be remembered." I whispered. "You were one of my only friends, and you stuck with me even after I was poor. Thank you." I finished, before I placed the flowers down and stood up.
I felt the cool hand leave my shoulder, and I turned around to see the person. Now that I visited her again, my spirits lifted enough to let me smile a little bit. "I could try to find her, if you want." Phantom's voice said.
Normally I would have spun around and shot at him, but what he said made me decide not to. For now. "You mean, you could find her?" I asked, not believing it. I could see Star again?
Phantom paused for a second, before answering. "Yeah, I could. But I'm not sure if you really want to see her again. To see her as a ghost- something you despise."
That thought made me rethink it. What would she want? She'd want me to be happy, and seeing her as a... as a ghost would probably hurt me. But, I want to see her again. I sighed, wiping away another tear before I decided. "No thanks, Phantom." I whispered. "I want to remember her as who she was, as a human." I looked up at him, before adding on, "But, thanks for the offer."
Huh. Valerie ISN'T shooting at Danny. And she's... crying? It may seem a bit OOC, but COME ON! Her BEST FRIEND just died! Of course, even a strong person like Val would cry. Tell me what you think, please!