I was at Tanya's graduation, sitting next to Caeden in the bleachers. She was in the top ten, but not any of the big names. You know, valedictorian or salutatorian. The girl was loaded down with cords and decorations. I couldn't be prouder. Among her awards was a certain scholarship that I knew firsthand that she deserved. Yep, I mean mine. Right now she was sitting with the other graduating seniors while the principal was giving a long - and a little bit boring - speech. Part of me wanted to be running around doing whatever I wanted, if only to make Caeden and Tanya giggle. But I wasn't gonna make a mockery of the event.
Back when I'd graduated it hadn't been a big deal to me. Not really. I mean, I'd switched schools often enough in previous years that it was more of the same. I was going from one school to another so I hadn't paid it any special attention. Tanya was taking it differently. To her, graduation was the most important moment of her life so far. Aside from finding out that immortals were real, of course. She was taking this dead seriously and I wasn't gonna ruin the moment by being a goof. I'd save that for later.
The principal had finished his speech and the names were being called. Tanya was near the middle of the list so there were a good few rows of students in front of her. This year's graduating class was around 120 kids... which was about 40 more than mine had been. Yes, I had a graduating class of 80 kids. Brandywine is a small school, and had been for longer than I'd been alive. I didn't see that changing any time soon. Tanya finally got up to the stage with one kid in front of her. When her name was called I could see the nerves on her face. She walked across the stage stiffly until she was standing in front of the principal. She took the diploma in her left hand and shook with her right before shooting her mom a grin and stepping off the opposite side of the stage and taking her seat. She cradled the roll of paper in her lap like it was made of gold, even though it was only the false diploma. She'd get the real one before joining everyone outside. But still, if the fake one was that reverent to her, she was probably gonna have the real one in an airlock.
Before long the ceremony was over and the families were gathered in the courtyard outside waiting for the grads. I hung out inside and waited for her to emerge from the back hallway with the real diploma. When she came around the corner, tassel swinging in her face, it was with a wide grin featured. I slung my arm across her shoulders as she came alongside me. "I'm gonna guess by the grin that you're ecstatic."
"Yes! Oh my God, high school is over!"
"And college awaits." In the end, after all the letters came back and she got major sticker shock, she had chosen SMC. "You over your nerves?"
"For the ceremony, yes. I kept expecting something to go wrong, like tripping as I crossed the stage." She grimaced.
"At least they called your name when they were supposed to. When it was my turn, they skipped my name and I ended up going last."
Her eyes widened in shock. "No! Oh my God, if that had happened to me I'd have died of embarrassment." She held her hand up to her forehead, still grimacing. "Suddenly, tripping doesn't seem like such a bad thing." The both of us giggled before I broke away from her as we were drawing near the crowd of people. Tanya went over to where her parents and Caeden were and started showing off her diploma to them. I climbed up on top of the gazebo to avoid the mass of bodies and to have a better view. After all the grads had entered the courtyard, the principal started a countdown. When he got to zero, all the grads threw their caps. More than a few landed on the roof of the school. I knocked down the ones that landed on the gazebo as discreetly as I could, but left the owners of the caps that landed on the roof to fend for themselves.
As Tanya and her party started weaving their way out of the crowd towards the doors, I hopped up onto the roof of the school and went towards the front doors. When they emerged I jumped down and followed at a minor distance. They all piled into the car and started driving away, me sitting on the roof. After a few minutes they pulled into the Prime Table parking lot and all piled out of the car. I jumped down as Tanya took off the gown and stowed it in the car, underneath which she'd been wearing a dress that she really didn't look comfortable in. Not that the dress looked uncomfortable, but Tanya wasn't the type of girl to wear lots of 'girly' clothing. A smart move on her part had been to wear flats instead of heels. If she'd been in both a dress and heels, it wouldn't have been pretty. Then she might actually have tripped on her way across the stage.
Her parents went in first while the two of them lingered outside for a moment. I gave Tanya another hug. "You look great in that dress, try to exude more confidence in it."
She chuckled as we broke apart. "I'll try."
I leaned towards Caeden, giving him a sideways hug and ruffling his hair. "Hey!"
I shrugged. "I'm still your sister. It's what I do." I waved at the two of them. "I'll be back in a few weeks." I gave them my version of Jack's trademark grin before beginning to call my wings. "And then you two can come and see my pad." Both of them were laughing as I gave them a mock salute and soared away.
On June 20th I found myself sitting in a plane. An airplane. I never thought I'd have that experience again. Caeden and Tanya were flying to San Francisco and then taking a bus to Sequoia National Park. I was gonna ride the whole way with them, if only to help them relieve boredom. But damn, I was on a plane! I was sitting in the aisle while they had the two seats in the right row. We'd been in the air for four hours already and we still had half of one to go. I'm not gonna lie, I thought it was an inconvenience. I could cover the distance in less than half the time on my own. If the wind was giving me a push it would take maybe one hour. But, I couldn't carry them and the winds didn't buoy mortals around, so it was either take a plane or drive, and neither of them had wanted to drive cross country.
So, plane it was. All in all I couldn't complain. At least I hadn't had to pay for a ticket. However, I had spent the past few weeks getting my place ready. You know, stocking up on food and such things for the mortals. They'd still have to climb the stairs, but that was the best I could do. I'd also had the tree that occupied the guest house form another bedroom temporarily so they could each have a room. It's not that I didn't trust them to share a room, but... they were teenagers, and they were dating. I wasn't stupid. If they wanted to share a room, fine by me, but I wasn't gonna force them to.
They'd decided on a night flight so they could at least sleep on the way over. Which was smart of them. At the moment they were conked out and snoring. Well, Caeden was snoring. Loudly. Tanya's was more like thick breathing. I decided that I could have more fun in first class, seeing as no one would be able to kick me out. As I stood up I noticed that, while they were sleeping, they were holding hands. "Aw! Lovebirds." They were so adorable! Even asleep with their mouths hanging open and making the most noise in this corner of the cabin they were the cutest couple.
I made my way towards the cockpit until I found the first class lounge. Damn! Oh... my god. It was beautiful! And that was my poor half speaking, not my artist side. My artist side was saying that it was ugly as fuck, but the rest of me was marveling at the sheer amount of luxury all in one place. "Oh my god..." I walked down the aisle like a zombie, no lie. I eventually spied an empty seat that looked like no one had claim of it. Yeah, it was mine now.
I plopped down in the seat, reclining it fully and turning on the personal viewing screen to watch my choice of programs. There wasn't time for a movie but this part of the plane had a hookup for freaking youtube! So yeah,... I sort of spent the rest of the flight watching videos in a vibrating chair. And nobody noticed. Not once. Yeah, if I ever had the chance to fly in a plane again, I was spending the whole time up here, just sayin'.
When the plane started descending I reluctantly made my way back to business class where Caeden and Tanya were still out. I shook them awake and spent the last few minutes of our descent chatting with them. When the plane landed - being the daredevil that I am - I stood the whole time. It was a little bumpy, but nothing like riding the winds. And so I wasn't phased. When the flight attendants opened the door I jumped out before everyone and waited for my people at the gate - out of the line of people of course. When Caeden and Tanya finally walked out of the ramp I joined them in the wake of people moving towards the baggage claim. Since it was still nighttime here - for a few more hours anyway - there weren't as many people as during rush hour, so I didn't have to bob and weave as much to avoid being walked through. When we finally got to the baggage claim, as the lovebirds were waiting for their bags, I rode around the conveyor belt. Don't judge me, I'll bet everyone and their mother has had that fantasy. No way was I passing up a golden opportunity like this! When I'd gone through about five times I finally saw that they had all of their bags and climbed off.
Instead of hailing a cab and wasting their money, we walked to where I knew the nearest bus station was where they bought tickets for the next one running into the park. While we waited for said bus, neither of them really closed their eyes. They were too busy taking in all the sights of my side of the country. The only time Caeden had ever been here was when he was two years old and too young to remember. Also, we'd never left the airport that time, we were only switching planes. I didn't think Tanya had ever been there, but I was sure it was never with this type of trip in mind.
When the bus pulled up the three of us climbed on. Yep, I was riding the bus too. I took an empty seat, ready to move if the need arose. As the bus rumbled away, the sky gradually got lighter. The trip to Sequoia National Park was three hours long, so morning would be in full swing by the time we got to my backyard. Just like on the plane, Caeden and Tanya fell asleep - again, holding hands. I couldn't help the smile on my face when I saw them together.
It wasn't just that they were a cute couple or that I wanted to see them together - because lets face it, I was a bit biased on the subject. It was the fact that they had what I'd always wanted. When I looked at the two of them, I could see the high school relationship I never had. I saw the boyfriend I never found. I saw two people who fit together so well that no one could deny them each other. And even though a small part of me was jealous that they'd found it and I was still riding solo, more of me took it as a sign that I'd eventually find the other end of my red string. The only question was, how long? Who gives a fuck? You've got eternity. Point one for inner voice. It was right. One great thing about being immortal was that I had time to wait. There were no guarantees that I'd be patient, but I could wait. That was one thing I'd always prided myself on, waiting. While other girls in my grade were switching boyfriends each week, I was switching books. While other kids were breaking up and making up, I was busting out a drawing or short story. While others' highest priority was finding someone to claim as their boyfriend or girlfriend, I was waiting for the person who I didn't have to claim, who'd just fit.
And I was still waiting. And a small part of me couldn't help but worry that I'd never find them. Beside me, Caeden snored and Tanya shifted in her sleep to rest her head on his shoulder. A smile crossed my face. If my bro could find someone in his backyard, then I can find someone in the world.
Three hours later the bus screeched to a stop in front of the information center and the two visible bodies in our trio stumbled off of the bus sleepily. About an hour back I'd opted to ride on the roof once it began to get crowded. I landed next to Caeden and started pointing them in the right direction. They went inside and got passes and a map and other necessities like that while I waited outside. When they came out, juggling their luggage, the map, and a few snacks, I took the map off of their hands and pulled out a pen to circle the location of my tree.
"Okay, so, once you start getting close, you're gonna have a strong feeling of turning back. Don't, it's just means my wards are working right. Just keep going until the feeling goes away. When you get to where this X is," I pointed at the X I'd placed on the map to mark where my tree was exactly. "You're not gonna see my house, that's still my wards. When you get there, I'll come down and show you in from the inside, which is the only way you're gonna know where the entrance is." I pointed to one of the trails that were clearly marked on every map. "This trail will take you most of the way. Then you're gonna want to look for this little trail that most people pass up which will take you to the general vicinity. But none of the trails come all the way, so you're gonna have to wing it from there." I handed the map back to Caeden, who had a free hand. "If you guys get lost, send me a note and I'll come help." The entire time I was giving the instructions, I received nods from the two of them. "I think that's it. I guess I'll see you guys there, then." I started to walk off, but turned around at the last minute. "Give me your heaviest bags."
"Why?" Tanya said around a granola bar that was breakfast.
I rolled my eyes. "Becaaauuuuse, I'm gonna take them there for you guys." I glanced around, pointedly showing that we were alone enough that no one would notice. "C'mon, hand 'em over." I held out my arms. After a few minutes of deciding which of their bags to give to me, I was loaded down. I once again gave them a salute and called my wings. Within minutes I was at my place.
I immediately went to the guest house and deposited the bags in the living room there before heading to the kitchen to make sure everything was put away in easily accessible places. After that was done I went outside and sat on my porch, looking out at the landscape. It was then that I noticed that the handrails I had were not the safest looking. And the fact that my bridges had no guardrails whatsoever hadn't phased me until that moment. Shit. I wasn't about to go gambling their lives just because I was a daredevil.
Well, time to get my tree to wake up again. I stood up and set my hand against the wall. "Hey, buddy, wake up." A number of branches quivered in response. "Think you can reinforce the handrails on the porch? And build some for the bridges?" As soon as I'd finished speaking, shoots of green bark were beginning to form railings along the bridge nearest me. I watched as more vines wrapped themselves around the existing handrail of my porch, almost looking like they were strangling it. Once everything had stopped I lightly patted the wall. "Thanks big guy." I walked over to test the new safety features, shaking the railings as hard as I could. Well, maybe not as hard, but pretty hard regardless. Perfect. Now that my minor worries had been addressed, I could relax and wait for them to show up.
It wasn't long before I felt the shudder that were my wards warning me of 'intruders'. I smiled, wondering if they remembered to push through or if they'd turn around. I turned my gaze to where they should have been and sure enough, there they were. Tanya was holding the map now while Caeden looked over her shoulder. Both were staring at it confusedly and I saw my wards in action. A smile crossed my face as I shook my head, laughing. "Come on, it's not that hard." I stopped, having thought of something. Both of them had at least basic common sense. Not to mention they weren't nearly as reckless as me. In every horror movie, when you get that moment of 'maybe we should go back', the ones that do, survive. I was basically asking them to be the person everyone screams at to not 'go into the basement' or what have you. "Okay, so maybe it's a little hard." I shrugged. If they did turn around, I could always head down and lead them by the hand if need be. The only reason I hadn't in the first place had been because I'd wanted them to be able to find their way on their own. They were big kids, they could navigate.
Turns out, they were smart enough to push on. Tanya took one last glance at the map before angrily folding it and shoving it into one of her pockets. With a determined look on her face she started leading Caeden right towards my tree, more or less. A few minutes later I saw huge smiles cover their faces and I knew they were through the outer ward. "Well, time to head down." I said it mostly to myself. However if the big guy was listening then I was saying it to him to.
I got up off my chair and walked towards my little used staircase. I usually flew up - walking up a few thousand stairs wasn't on my list of 'fun things to do'. But this time I was gonna have to. As I began the endless spiral descent, I couldn't help but feel a little dizzy. I was, after all, walking in circles. I stopped for a minute to shake my head and re-gather my semblance of balance. Once I was back in the saddle, per say, I resumed my descent. When I finally reached the bottom I could hear the two of them tromping around outside. "Where is it?"
"I don't know, I can't see it."
"Maybe we should send her a note?"
"She said she'd come and show us the way in."
"I know she did, but she's not here."
I finally got to the warded 'front door', which was just an opening that only immortals - or mortals who'd passed through it - could see. I stuck my head out and looked around until I saw them. They were standing about ten feet away, hopelessly looking around. "Yes I am." As they both whipped around in alarm, I placed a huge smile on my face. I waved them over, knowing full well that I looked like I was sticking out of solid tree. "Come on!" With only minor hesitation, the two of them carted all of their things with them towards me. When they got there, both of them hesitated. I gave them a look. "Really?"
Caeden stepped forward first, hesitating before taking the plunge and stepping through. Tanya followed suit, though after seeing Caeden pass through so easily she didn't hesitate. Once they were both inside I pulled my head back in and turned to lead them upwards. I took most of their remaining luggage off of them, just to make the climb easier on them. When we got somewhere between half and a third of the way up, they had to stop and rest. I took their bags up and put them in the guest room with the rest before going back down to accompany them the rest of the way.
Just like when I took Jack to Fun FX, I walked out first so I could see their reactions. So I found myself standing in the middle of my living room as they stepped out of the staircase with wonder on their faces. "Oh wow..." Both sets of eyes had gone straight to the doorway that lead to the porch... and the view beyond it. Tanya's jaw was hanging wide while Caeden pushed past her in his mad dash for the porch. Caeden ran into the railing, eyes wide as he took in the view. Tanya was a little slower and a tad more awestruck in her approach of the outside. I followed them out, taking in their reactions with a smile. Yeah, I may have downsized my original dream home, but I still got the wow factor with the location. Caeden was looking out while Tanya was looking down with a death-grip on the railing. "Did we really just climb that far?"
I nodded. "Yep, sorry about that by the way. I don't have an elevator or anything. The only reason I have those stairs are for people who can't fly or teleport up." I let them take in the view for a few more minutes before breaking them out of their trances. "Why don't I show you guys where you're gonna be bunking?"
"I'm gonna... keep... keep looking... for a while." Tanya said it sounding distracted and distant. Which made sense as she didn't look away from the view as she spoke.
"I'll come." Caeden broke his gaze away with far more ease. I waved him towards the bridge that lead to the guest house and crossed it ahead of him.
We entered straight into the living room and I gestured at the pile of baggage. "I figure I'll let you guys choose which rooms you want, so I left your shit here."
"Rooms?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
"If you guys want to share a room, so be it. I offered." I glanced around. "However, if you guys do decide to share then tell me so I can let this guy devolve itself." I hooked a thumb towards the visible tree trunk.
"What do you mean 'devolve itself'? What, like it's alive?"
"Trees are all alive." I'd said it to be a smart ass, and Caeden knew it. Which is why he gave me a similar look to the one I'd given the two of them at the base of my tree. "But no, its more like it's awake. It will change according to the needs. So will the big guy over there." I gestured towards the main tree.
"Awake? Can it talk?" He sounded too excited for his own good.
"No, but I admit that'd be awesome! No, none of them can, but the big guy kind of shakes a few branches whenever I start talking to it to show it's listening. I think it's listening." I shrugged. "Nature isn't my area of expertise. I'm just happy that Mother Nature woke them up for me, otherwise she'd be here every other month to help me adjust things." I laughed at the notion. No lie, if Seraphina had to stop by that often, she'd probably be arriving on storm clouds instead of warm breezes.
Caeden nodded in confirmation. "Okay. So, rooms? Where are they?"
"This way." I pointed towards the stairs and tromped on ahead of him. Over my shoulder I said, "The first room is the one that's permanent, that's this one." We'd reached the next floor and I gestured in at the room. It was big enough for two, as was the bed. But like I said, I wasn't gonna force them. "The other room's one flight up." I pointed upwards. "I will let the two of you decide if you want to bunk together or not, but like I said, let me know." We both headed back down to the main level and walked back to the main part of my house. Tanya was still staring down, vice-grip still active. Now that I was closer I saw that she was shaking slightly. "Hey, you okay?"
She blinked, leaning back a bit before tearing her gaze away from the ground. "Yeah..." She wavered a little and Caeden reached out an arm to steady her. "Just got a bout of vertigo there, that's all." She shook her head a little before giving the ground one more cursory glance. She turned her gaze to my brother. "Hey, so what do our rooms look like?"
"Well, we have an option there." He glanced at me, a blush growing on his face.
"I'll leave you two to discuss it. When you decide, I'll be in my studio, which is across the other bridge over yonder." I pointed towards where I knew said bridge was, even though they couldn't see it. I waved at them before walking around the porch and crossing over into my studio. Depending on how long they took to decide, I might be able to get a little bit of work done on my current project, which was Jack's and my Halloween costumes. We were going trick or treating with Jamie and Sophie this year. After the teen had heard about how we'd done the same with my guys the year before last, Jamie had strong-armed Jack into promising to make the rounds alongside him in Burgess. Jack had then cashed in that IOU from Christmas two years ago, basically forcing me to go too. Not that I minded. In fact, I was excited, this would be my first year candy gathering in unfamiliar territory.
I went over to the pieces that were strewn about here and there. Parts of my costume were jumbled up with parts of Jack's costume. Pins were sticking out of everything. Half completed items were thrown in with pieces that hadn't even been started. Most people would say that my work space needed organizing, but I managed perfectly with this clutter. I'm a little bit of a packrat, and I never inherited my mom's neat-freak gene. Through chaos I derive order. I knew where everything was in my mess and there was a system... I just couldn't explain it. In any case I grabbed the simplest item on my Halloween costume to-do list and went to work.
I'd finished a good chunk of work when I heard two sets of footsteps thumping on the bridge. I got to a place where I could stop and started packing up the supplies I'd strewn everywhere as I'd worked. Tanya entered first, knocking on the doorway as she did. "Hey - whoa. What happened in here?"
I looked up from the piles of fabric scraps that surrounded me to see a bewildered expression on two faces. "Just a project I'm working on. So, you guys figured it out?" I folded the last of the larger pieces, placing it back on the table shelf.
"Yeah, we're gonna share a room." I stacked the last thing back on the table shelf as I turned to see both of them were blushing.
I smirked at them. "You sure about that?"
Tanya's blush deepened, but her determined - and stubborn - expression said that she didn't want it to. "Yeah."
"Well, alright then. I should probably let that one go back to normal then." I strolled past them as I made my way to the guest house once more. When I got there I once again laid my hand against the wall. Looking up towards the third floor that was soon to be no more, I spoke up once again. "Hey, you can nix the second bedroom, buddy. Sorry to have had you make it for nothing." With no other sign of having heard me, the tree - or at least the third floor - began to collapse on itself. After what was around two minutes, the faint trembling of the tree subsided and I knew there were now only two floors in the guest house. "Thanks." I turned around to see two jaws almost hitting the floor. I couldn't help but laugh. "You guys should have seen it when we were first building the place. Weirdest shit you'd ever have seen."
Tanya and Caeden ended up staying with me for two weeks. During that time, we spent a lot of it just talking. Most night they stayed up late and the three of us stargazed on the roof. Once they even managed to see a passing stream of Sandy's Dreamsand. We went hiking a few times, something I actually hadn't gotten around to doing yet. We even went swimming at one of the lakes. It was the most fun I'd had in a while. Normal fun, that is. Magic fun is a different category in my mind. It was really nice.
You know, I'd never tell them this - or anyone else for that matter - but I was trying to make it harder for them to forget me. I thought that, the more fun and impossible things we did together, the harder it'd be for them to ever believe that I never existed. I knew it was gonna happen someday. They'd stop believing in me. I knew it was coming so I was more or less ready to accept it, but I had no idea how far off that time was. Or how near. So I'd decided that, in the time I spent with them, I was going to try and make it unforgettable. I didn't know if it would work or not, but I was going to try my damned hardest while I could.
Now we were all back in Niles. Caeden was working at his summer job, incidentally, the same place I once worked before I became immortal. Tanya was heading up to Freshman orientation at SMC and had asked me to come along, as I knew the way. I was riding shotgun with the windows rolled down and my hair flying every which way. Tanya had the same problem as she'd kept growing out her hair. It was now almost to the middle of her back, though the purple streak had stayed. She'd taken to wearing contacts more of the time now, and had left her glasses at home, so her eyes were far more prominent now than I was used to. One of the top 40 songs was playing and the two of us were singing at the top of our lungs, in part to be able to hear ourselves over the wind and the radio, but mostly because we just felt like it.
When the song ended and we took a minute to catch our breath, it was with gigantic smiles on our faces. Tanya reached out and turned down the volume so we could talk without screaming. "So when do I make the turn?"
"There's a sign that points the way, but you'll know it because the road is horribly bumpy right before the intersection."
She shot me a slightly annoyed look. "So you had me go this way knowing full well that the road sucks?"
"Where you're coming from, this is the quickest way. I'll have you take the other way when we head home, so you know the two main ways of getting there."
"Yeah, sure." The smile she flashed me betrayed her joke.
I stuck my tongue out at her in response. I turned to gaze out the window at a view that was almost as familiar as my reflection. It was a little different sitting in the passenger seat, but aside from that, not much had changed. It was still mostly farmland, with a few buildings and trees dotting the landscape here and there. I could probably navigate it with my eyes closed, if I was really trying. Today was really beautiful. Perfect weather. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping. You know, all that cliché nonsense. And the temperature on this fine July day was in the high end of the seventies, so we were both dressed in tank-tops and shorts.
"We're getting close, it should be the next road. And we turn left." We'd just passed over a tiny bridge that spanned a creek. Across the road was a barn with cows and goats and chickens all out and about in the same pen. That hasn't changed at all.
"Alright." Just as I'd predicted, the road got beyond rough right about then, and Tanya's grip on the wheel tightened as she began to swerve around the potholes. Years ago I'd read something online that had made me laugh at the time, but was 100% true. Sober drivers in most of the world drive in a straight line, while drunk drivers swerve all over the road. In Michigan, however, it's the drunks that are driving straight. The sober people are crossing over the line and driving on the grass to avoid potholes in an attempt to save their tires. Trust me, I was one of them. But that quote still held true to this day, as Tanya was proving.
We made the turn and the road instantly smoothed out as we started uphill. "Alright, you take this road straight forever until you hit Mathews, where there'll be a sign pointing you to the Cherry Grove entrance."
"And we're on Daily now, right?"
I nodded in confirmation. "Right."
"A lot of people have told me that Daily is horrible to drive on." I was about to interject when she cut me off. "In the winter."
"Yes and no. It's just as bad as all these other back-roads, but because most of the space on either side is farmland, the wind just blows the snow off of it. The only area you really need to watch out for it the intersection with Pokagon. That's where all the accidents are." I was watching out the window as I spoke. We were nearing a certain flashing light that I hadn't seen in eight years, and hadn't really longed to return to if I'm being honest. Part of me wanted to ignore it completely, but I knew I wouldn't be able to. Just like Jack couldn't look away from that spot of the pond, I wouldn't be able to tear my gaze from the drop off.
Tanya saw my expression. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm... fine." She pulled to a stop at the light and my eyes shot directly to a cross that had been erected next to the church there. How much irony was there in the fact that I'd died next to a church and cattycorner to a graveyard?
"Do you want me to pull over or something?" She was giving me a very concerned look.
"No, can we just keep going please?" I pointed ahead and she reluctantly pulled forward, shooting the cross a cursory glance as we passed it.
When we cleared the trees her eyes widened in surprise and she glanced back towards the intersection. Then she shot me a look that was a mix of shock and anger. She set a determined expression on her face and pulled into the first driveway we came to, about to turn around. "That better not be what I think it is, Story."
As she pulled back out onto the road and shot back towards the light, part of me was panicking. But just as much of me calmly accepted the fact that she was going back to look, and nothing I said or did was going to stop her. She pulled to a stop and leaned over me, trying to see the picture pinned to the cross. When the car behind her honked she pulled into the parking lot across the street from the church and climbed out of her car, slamming the door behind her. As she stormed off towards the cross I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt - which I'd only worn out of habit - and emerged from the car. I calmly followed her across the street.
When I got to her, she was staring wide-eyed at the cross. It stood about three feet high and sported a picture of my nineteen year old self, back when I'd been mortal. There were a few strings of beads and flowers and such hung around the top of it and a laminated piece of paper with some sappy crap that I could care less about, but which ended with 'may she find peace in heaven.' When I read the last line I snorted, shaking my head. I started walking a little ways away from her. If I came this far, I might as well go the whole nine yards.
"This is where you died." Tanya said from behind me, still staring at my picture that was faded from the sun.
"Yep." I stepped over to the trees, staring down the drop to where my car had crashed that night.
"Why didn't you tell me!" It wasn't a question. She finally tore her eyes off of it and ran over to me. I didn't answer as I started climbing down the slope, hanging on to the trees as I did. Even after eight years, the path my car had carved was still visible. There were new trees there by now, but they were all way smaller and far younger than the surrounding ones, which gave it away. I finally set foot on flat ground and I hesitated. It didn't matter that the sun was shining and that it was the middle of the day. In my mind it was once again a storm at six o'clock and there was half frozen rain falling.
I heard Tanya crash through the trees behind me as she came to a stop next to me, glancing around for something she couldn't see. For something that I couldn't overlook. "Story, why didn't you tell me? We could have gone another way."
I walked forward, not even caring about the mud that was squishing up around my shoes. I then reached the spot where Jack had pulled me to after he'd shown up. "I haven't been back here since it happened." I looked up through the trees. Though it was day time, I could still see the moon glowing brightly in my mind. "I think part of me wanted to get it over with." I looked over at her. "You know, instead of actively avoiding it." I looked around at a place that could have been beautiful if events of the past hadn't marred it for me. I laughed once, a mirthless smile crossing my face. "I'm so morbid."
"No, you're not." Tanya walked over to me, her flip-flops in her hand so she wouldn't loose them. "I'm having a hard time believing that you're taking it as well as you seem to be, though." She stopped in the same place where I'd been trapped in my car.
I shrugged. "It's been eight years. Besides, I wasn't scared or anything when it happened." I glanced up at the church, once again noting the irony that none of those people had come to help me. "And I became immortal, which was more than I could have ever hoped for." I finally looked her in the eye. "I'm okay, really." My gaze fell to the ground at our feet, where I could make out the impression my car had left. "Now that I've seen it, I'm good."
"Are you sure?" She was concerned once again and I couldn't help remembering the one and only time she'd seen me crying. And I hadn't even been crying then, I'd stopped a few minutes before she'd walked in. She really is a good friend.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Okay." She looked around a little, no doubt trying to see what I did. "So, you good to go?"
"Yeah." I shoved my hands in my pockets as we walked back to the drop and began climbing up. "Hey, if orientation doesn't last too long, I can sow you the best ice cream place in all of Michiana."
She giggled genuinely. "Sounds like a plan."
"Oh, but they only take cash." She rolled her eyes but laughed anyway. I laughed with her, glad I'd finally confronted that last loose end.