Life After Death

Chapter 8

I was engulfed in darkness.

It wasn't like my first experience with drowning. I didn't feel cold. I didn't feel my lungs burning in need for air. I didn't feel alone.

I had my eyes open the entire time, but couldn't see anything. I only saw an inky black, and gold hair, fluttering to the surface.

Long fingers rounded my hips, securing me. A strong arms circled my waist, bringing me to the surface.

We broke the surface and gasped for air. I was shaking though. Memories of drowning that day seeping back to my subconscious. Tugging at the strings of my mind; leaving me reeling and shaking.

I crawled out of the creek, worried that we were still in that horrible in between place, but we weren't. I was sure because I heard the sound of a car. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever come across, since being... dead.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and wrapped my arms around my body. Holding myself together, because I was sure that I'd fall apart any moment then.

Suddenly, Roman wrapped an arm around me. "Breathe Meredith. Breathe," he whispered. "We're here." His voice almost calmed me down. Almost.

The shaking subsided, but only by a bit.

"I'm okay now." I assured him, shaking his arm off. Reluctantly, he let go.

"You're not going to pass out or anything, right?" Roman smirked.

"No, I'm not going to pass out." I playfully shoved him; it reminded me of shoving and nudging Nathaniel.

Relief flooded over me, as I came to realisation that I was back. I would see them – my family and friends – I would be happy. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

"What are you smiling at? We gotta get walking," Roman said.

I just smiled and followed him. We walked over dirty clumps of melting snow. Around bare, gnawed trees and finally, came to the end of the woods. A another surge or relief flooded over me and I grinned back at Roman.

"So, where now?" I asked as we walked down the once-again deserted road.

"Just wait and see."

I did.

The walk was longer than I had initially remembered but I didn't mind. I could admire the beauty of Pennsylvania for what it really was.

I lived in the small town of Hope: The friendliest little town. It had tall trees, little snow in summer flowers that littered the woods and sidewalks. It had the best sushi which was always in a strip mall. Always. There was the beautiful Sumner Park – a wide open field that had tall conifer trees, and the scent of flowers lingered in the air.

There was town square two blocks away was the strip mall. The school was close to the diner, Jaime's Big Bite, where I met Amy because her father, Jaime owned the place. Every day after school Amy and I would have a large portion of chilli cheese fries and we'd half it; it was tradition.

It felt good to walk through my home town, Roman in tow. But as we were walking, I noticed that we had taken the route around town, so we wouldn't be walking through town square. I came to the conclusion that we were heading to the one place I was terrified to go. I noticed that wrought-iron gate, looming in the distance, anywhere. We were going to the cemetery.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The gate loomed over me, like a warning. But I had to pass through – Roman had, with ease.

I wasn't so nonchalant though.