A Safe Place

Chapter 17- Briar

All eyes in the lonely graveyard turned to the young nervous cowboy. He instantly looked frightened as thoughts swirled in his brain. He hadn't yet come to terms with the whole being dead thing. Much less, he'd been dead for 30 years but he remembered every gory detail down to the pain from a baseball injury. That accursed house didn't bring him anything but pain and fear. Until he looked to the girl who died recently. The girl that gave him that sense of longing. That gave him love. He realized in that second. He wasn't ready to go yet. He was scared of losing her. He couldn't. The young terrified boy shook his head and held the hand of the little girl with a fire inside. "I'm not ready to go yet." He says, his fear betraying him with the quivering in his voice. "Let Briar go next." He shakily says, glancing at the black haired girl with braids. She gently rested a hand on her chest. "I was the one with the heart condition." She says, looking on the verge of tears. Jack tries to comfort her but she shrugs out of his embrace. Mike nervously walks over. "What's your story, Briar?" He asks, making the sweet girl smile.

It was the summer of 85. I fell in love and I learned to drive. My old man kept telling me not to excite myself too much. I had a rare heart condition. Some of the chambers were underdeveloped. Doctors didn't think I'd live to a year but here I am at age 15. Honestly I couldn't be happier. I have a sweet man who loves me so much. I just got my first car. The cutest pink vulkswagon beetle. And me and my sister Isabela got into a private high school that sets you on the road to a really good college. I was going to be a star. And a bad heart wasn't going to stop me. I got back home after cruising in my car. I was so happy to have that car. "Briar there you are thank goodness!" Dad said hugging me. "How're you feeling?" "I'm fine daddy! Don't worry!" I say, cheerily, skipping around the room. I let my hair down and look at myself in the mirror. Isa was behind me, looking as worried as our father. I hate to admit it but my chest does hurt a little. I obviously don't let on. I don't need them treating me more like a porcelain doll than they do already. I smile at my reflection. "You've moved up on the donor list." My sister says, hugging me. "Really? Cool!" I've been on the list for 12 years. Supposedly I'm in the top 10! So any day now I could get a call for a new heart. "Well I'm going on a date with my boyfriend! Don't wait up!" Little did I know, dad sent Isabela to keep an eye on me. *Sighs* Maybe if I had known, I'd still be alive today. I'd have gotten a donor heart, married Jacob. Who knows?

We had gotten to the movie. I wanted to watch a scary movie. I loved the adrenaline. But even I knew that would be a fatal error. I may be a bit of a risk taker but even I know there's a line I shouldn't cross. So we went to see a romance movie. The movie was Weird Science. All the kids at school were talking about how excited they were to see it. It had just come out a day prior. The cover art interested Jacob and I just wanted something laid back since of course as you know, I couldn't excite myself too much. I stared at him longingly. How long would he stay with a girl who couldn't get physically intimate? I hope he loved me enough to wait til I got a new heart. Alas I will never live to find out. I kissed his cheek before going to get more popcorn. I opened the door to come face to face with Isa. It caught me so off guard that my chest started to hurt immensely. I put a hand over it, trying to calm my racing and damaged heart but it was no use. There was nothing anyone could do. I had pushed my poor heart too far and unfortunately this isn't a movie. I can't rewind and change what I'd done. I felt my legs give out and my sister calling for someone to help. "It'll be okay! You'll be okay!" She cries, hugging me to her chest. If only it were that simple. "I love you, Isa." I whisper, wishing I hadn't been so jealous growing up. Jealous of her freedom. The watchful eye my parents kept me under was suffocating. I know it was for my safety. I see that. But... It's too late now.

"Wow. The sweetest girl I've ever met has a broken heart." Jason says kneeling beside the girl who was now in tears. She smiled and looked at him. "Well the one good thing from coming to that house... I... My chest hasn't hurt once." The two 80s babies hug. "You are a true friend, Jase. Thank you." He smiles, trying not to cry himself. "You taught me to be a nicer person. I'm forever indebted to you." She gently pats his cheek. "No you're not. For once.... We're finally free." The angel girl ascends this mortal plane leaving the young cowboy alone with his worries and thoughts. "She was... A good woman." He says as Miranda kneels beside him. "Jack has decided to stay. He wants to haunt the graveyard... So... It... I'm afraid it's our turn now." "God that crazy sadist." Jason murmurs, standing up. He thought he'd see a smiling cocky sixteen year old but the young Jack sat against his grave silent as a mouse. He didn't reveal his past life. The couple wasn't fixing to pry. Jack seemed like the fellow you didn't want to disturb. Mike surprisingly was more calm and collected than he had been previously. "Do you want to go first?" She asks, looking up at the nervous teen. He looked back at her, eyes full of uncertainty and fear. But also a yearning burning feeling to tell his story. "I'm scared to lose you." He says, holding her hands which rested against his chest. "You won't lose me." She assured him. He looked back up to the kindhearted teenager who stayed to listen to their stories. "Alright. I'm ready."