KILLSHOT // [H.S]

049. GRAVE

049. GRAVE

Rory was ecstatic.

She was dead.

Finally, she was dead.

Any sane person wouldn't be happy to be dead. But she was far from sane. She was the pure definition of insanity.

She had been waiting for this day for eight years. And now, she had finally been rewarded with her wish. Death. It was a beautiful thing to her.

Laying in the grass, staring up at the crystal blue sky, her cheeks ached from smiling.

Every night she dreamed of this day.

Finally, her dream had come true.

Rory was dead.

And she couldn't have been any happier.

Rory thought about this moment every day, yet nothing prepared her for it to happen. She wanted to scream with joy and cry out of relief.

Lifting her head off the grass, she looked around and took in the vast fields surrounding her. A white dress covered her body, and her hair was tied back with a ribbon in a matching colour. She felt like an Angel - a surprising feeling, believing her chances of getting sent to a place like this were considerably low. Rory was never religious; she frequently cursed at whatever higher power controlled her life, considering they made it the way it was. But that never stopped her from thinking that something was out there, watching her, protecting her, and would be her landing place once she died.

Whatever this place was, she didn't know. But she liked it. It felt like...

"My new home," she whispered.

And just like that, her thoughts and feelings towards her new home were confirmed, hearing a familiar dog barking in the distance. When Rory spotted the animal running to her, she wanted to burst into tears - cry like she did that one Christmas morning.

"Sandy!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the golden-haired dog. Rory giggled as Sandy swiped her pink tongue across her cheek, slobbering her with kisses. "Calm down, girl! It's only been eleven years!"

Sandy didn't listen. The dog continued to cover her with kisses, whimpering with excitement. And Rory was more than happy to be the recipient of her puppy's love.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, scratching Sandy's favourite spot - the one right behind her ears. "We're going to have so much fun together again! We can go on walkies... and explore just like we used to back home... and I'll get you all the treats and toys you want. Wait. Can you get that here?" she asked, "I still don't know what even here is. Sorry, Sandy, I'm learning."

The dog tilted her head slightly to the side as if understanding her owner's rambling.

"Can you talk?" She let a few seconds of silence pass before whispering, "You can tell me. I can keep a secret."

Sandy looked down at the ground and sniffed a patch of grass.

"It appears you can't... I guess this place isn't magical with talking animals. Unless," her eyes narrowed, "You're just a really good actor."

Sandy chewed on a dandelion.

"I'll get the truth out of you one day," Rory warned. "Watch your back, Sandy-bear."

The dog raised her head, allowing the snack to drop from her mouth. Sandy's ears flopped as she spun in a circle and barked.

Rory laughed, watching her dog spin around. "What are you doing, silly?"