The Aempodi

• 1: Heart To Heart •

2019

The town Springbook was a relatively large one, at least compared to others in Wisconsin, being somewhere in the middle of quaint but sleepy with its daily hint of morning fog and urban living, half-way to becoming a city of its own.

There weren't nearly as many trees around as there were 10 years ago. It still kept its charm, a quiet, old world that didn't have many cars bustling through the streets but more than enough life to keep people around for generations. But life wasn't always something that people wanted.

The cemetery down on Ripley Street could almost be mistaken for a park if it were not for the dozens and dozens of head stones that stood erect from the ground. Even then, they could've looked like beautiful miniature monuments if one could ignore the epitaph carved into each and every one of them. It was quieter there, anyone could hear every whisper and breath if they tried to.

Sitting on the edge of the cobblestone linings was a slender teenage girl, dark brown hair falling down her chest in curls and dressed in a white cardigan that seemed out of place considering the summer heat. But she didn't really feel the warm ray of sunshine even though it shone on her directly, everything just felt cold to her.

The girl had been for at least an hour now, on the same spot she had always been sitting at, doing nothing in particular except stare off into the gravestones in front of her as her thoughts escaped even further to a place where even herself couldn't help but get lost into. Her thoughts were endless, complicated, but she didn't bother trying to make sense of it. She just let it be. A million whispers travelled in her head and yet, she couldn't lay a finger on just one of them.

Pain. Anger. Guilt. Confusion. She felt anything and everything at once, each moment felt like a stab through her heart.

Directly across where she sat were 3 headstones side-by-side, just like how their bodies were almost 2 months ago. They were lucky, to die together as a family. There were no broken pieces that way, nobody had to suffer the feeling of a losing a loved one, they all lost each other at the same time.

The girl, however, had a broken piece. And it was lodged in the center of her heart.

And she wished for herself to die every night in her sleep, but it never did work out.

It was a moment later when the girl realized the silence of the cemetery was intruded, the peace of her surroundings were trespassed with the sound of footsteps on dry leaves, bristling loudly.

"Kaia?" she heard her name being called out, she could recognize that voice from anywhere but something in her didn't want to answer. "Are you here?" The footsteps were getting closer now.

With a heavy sigh, Kaia stood up, brushing off the dirt that lingered on her hands. "I'm here, Sonny." It didn't take long until she saw her friend turning around the corner.

Sonny almost looked lost in the cemetery, her dark blue eyes were wide as they scanned the surroundings, probably growing scared each time they landed on a gravestone. She kept her arms folded tightly, fingers gripping the leather jacket that hugged her body. Her usually polished brown hair was a bit matted, too dry for even this weather. It was as though she had just escaped a major gym session.

Kaia frowned, feeling as though she was forgetting something.

But before she could put a finger on it, her friend interrupted her train of thoughts. "I knew you'd be here. You haven't stopped coming here since..." Sonny pointed over to the 3 gravestones they were standing near to. "That."

"Yeah..." Kaia shrugged before slowly sitting down on the cobblestones again. A slight gesture to her friend and Sonny followed suit, taking the spot beside hers. "I guess I can't stop. Not yet."