Beyond The Grave

Welcome to Driftmuth

The dark clouds in the sky were large and angry, and the albino girl could already feel a few drops dripping onto her shoulder. Biting her lip, she gazed up to the sky, wishing for the storm to come down so she could drown out her despair.

"...Ms. Spectre?"

Someone nudged against her arm, startling her out of her trance. Blinking before looking back down to reality, her eyes met with the priest's who gave her a sympathetic look. "Sor - sorry." Marilyn choked a little. "You - you were saying something?"

"I was asking if Ms. Spectre would like to say a few words."

Marilyn gave a stiff nod, moving up to head out to the podium. Her feet felt like she was cuffed to a ball and chain, dragging out every one of her steps as her façade threatened to break down in emotion. She could feel the eyes of everyone watching her trod forward, some she saw were openly weeping themselves.

"I..." She began, trying to unfold the eulogy she had written for him. The crumbled words were still legible, but deep down in her gut she knew that what she was going to say fooled no one.

"We always believed that the dead are never gone, that they live on through our hearts, our memories. And this is no exception. What happened is... tragic, but he told me himself not to let his-" She continued, before stopping. It was still hard to process it, and some part of her refused to accept it.

"His... his... his death..." She forced out through her lips after considerable effort. "...affect...me."

She couldn't hold it in anymore.

It was like a dam had finally fallen apart, as tears fell from her eyes. She managed to collect herself and was about to continue, when she saw it.

There was someone standing opposite his coffin. Someone who ought to be die. Someone who they were grieving about. The paper dropped from her hands as the name slipped out of her mouth.

=========================

"SAMAEL?!"

Marilyn jerked away before her head banged against something hard. For a moment, everything was hazy until she smelt old leather and cigars and a mild recording of music; she finally realized she was on a cab.

"I was wondering when you'll come back from la la land. Had a nightmare or something?" A voice asked nonchalantly and she turned to the cab driver. Despite his aged appearance - his hair was greying and there were cuts near his stubble - he didn't seem too bothered and kept his eyes on the road, occasionally looking at the rear mirror.

She breathed heavily, before her mind finally registered his question. "Well, I guess. Just this dream...well, nightmare, actually."

"Eh, some things you never know till you experience it."

Outside, the fancy buildings began to disappear, gradually replaced by smaller, rustic ones. Glimmers of neon lights passed by, announcing shops and businesses while people outside danced to the joyful sounds of musical instruments by buskers and such.

Soon, the cabby pulled over near a motel and she stepped out, hit immediately by the cool evening air that compelled her to take a deep breath of. It was such a contrast to the urban parts of the town; everything seemed so simpler.

"You alright?" The cabby pulled out her luggage from the trunk and saw her leaning against a lamp post. "Overwhelmed by the change?"

"How did you...?"

"Let's just say you're not the first newcomer to town I've carried." He chuckled, patting Maria's back. "Word of advice? Give it time, and you'll find your own roots settled." He patted her back before leaving some parting words. "Just...don't forget the difference between fantasy and reality."