This Life (COMPLETED)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After living four lives you experience a fair amount of deaths. In a way I'm used to it, but at the same time it's really hard. I can move on faster than the average person, but it hits me hard when I first hear about it. There's a moment of realization that I have to witness every person who means something to me pass away one way or another. Even if it's someone from two lives ago...

"You okay?" Alex squeezes my hand as we approach the funeral home.

I take a deep breath and nod slowly. Despite being alive for many deaths, I've only ever been to the funerals for my parents as Alexis, Alexander's grandma and my dad's a few years ago.

"I'm really glad you're here," I tell him honestly and he gives me a small smile.

We walk inside and my breath catches in my throat as I see the sign outside the room indicating it was Gail's room...

_______________

I feel my body begin to shake as I stand outside the room that holds both my parents bodies. I don't want to go inside. I can't go inside. Why do dead bodies get displayed? I asked my grandparents and they didn't know the answer. Why would I want to see my parents in lifeless bodies?

"You okay, Ally?" My lip quivers as I turn and see Alexander standing behind me looking at me with a worried expression. I shake my head. Of course I'm not okay. My parents are dead. Alex sighs sadly. "Do you want to go in?" I shake my head again as tears start running down my cheeks. I watch, as his eyes grow teary when he sees me cry.

"They're gone Alex. I don't wanna see dead bodies. That's not them in there, it's just bodies," I cry.

Alex looks unsure of what to do, so he just steps forward and hugs me tight. I wrap my arms around him and cry into my best friend's shoulder. "I'm here Ally. I'll always be here for you."

_______________

I lift my watery eyes up to Alex's concerned ones. "You're here still," I whisper.

He lifts a hand to stroke my cheek, wiping tears. "Always," He assures me once again.

I close my eyes and take another deep breath before slowly opening my eyes and letting Alex know I'm ready to go inside. He takes my hand in his again and we walk into the room. I can see the casket from where I stand, I can see the pale white of her lifeless skin, the only life being the flowers decorated around her. As we walk closer my nose begins to tingle as I ready myself for more tears. She had looked fragile and old when I last saw her, but she still had had life in her, so seeing this body pierces my already battered heart painfully.

There's not that many people here as I look away from the casket. I don't know anyone, but I wasn't expecting to. I was only really coming here to make myself feel less guilty for how things ended between us. She may be gone, but being here made me feel like maybe somehow she would know I loved her and cared for her greatly.

We're only a few feet from the casket, but I can't seem to get myself to go any closer. I had seen enough from here and the closer I went the tighter my chest felt. The more painful, the more real it felt. I spotted a man standing by the other entrance with reddened eyes as people approached him.

I walk closer and heard a lady call him Frank. This was my nephew. My sister's son: whom I never got the privilege of meeting. Now that I really look at him I can see some of Gail in him. His eyes were almost identical to hers. When the lady walked away I walked up to him, Alex following closely behind.

"Hi, I'm Charlotte, this is my fiancé Alexander. You must be Frank," I say.

His eyes spark with recognition. "Nice to meet you both, you're much younger than I pictured Charlotte, but if my mom left a message for you, you must have been pretty important to her considering she only left a note for the both of us," he tells me.