Morning came creeping in, I yawned stretching my back
When did I fall asleep?
A loud gong sounded outside, I froze memories flooding in, too much that threatened to bury me underneath. I put on a leather jacket and went outside, everyone was gathered at the town's square, a body covered in the middle, I had to swallow a bile that was already threatening to come up. I walked up to the front, Sabrina and Vicky was already there, our Chief was standing near the corpse addressing the crowd, I couldn't take my eyes of his body, just yesterday just yesterday he came to wish me happy birthday, and just like that I lost him. I wiped my eyes for any tears that was planning on escaping my eyelids. We all followed the crowd as two hefty man carried his body to the town cemetery. They dug his grave and everyone plucked a flower from the town's garden, it was customary to pick the flowers you want to lay on the dead from the garden next to the cemetery so they could blossom like flowers in heaven and while laying the flowers on their feet you must open the white clothe and look into their lifeless face so that they can remember you forever. Everyone layed their flowers one by one at his feet opening his white clothes to stare at his lifeless face. When it got to my turn I took longer than expected, I opened the white clothe used to cover his face, just to see him one last time, his head was stitched back to his body, the person that did this did a great job but I am sure his severed head would forever haunt the person that stitched his head back to his body, I looked at the uneven stitch, memories flooding my brain, I forced myself to cover the dead body back, dropping my flower on his body, making a promise, I planned to keep
"I would avenge you I promise" I said with a whisper. Once I stepped back they lowered his body into the sand and just like that I would never get to see Ethan again.
I walked back to my apartment my friends in tow
"You can't just leave Luna, we just lost one of our friend, we can't lose you to" Vicky said, frustratingly ruffling his hair
"Besides" Rina chipped in "you are not the only person affected by his death, we are all shaken up but unlike you, we care too much for the people we love" I glared at her, I wanted to tell them the letter I saw clenched in his fist, I wanted to tell them about the thing watching me from the shadows, I wanted to tell them about the letter that was written "You are not safe" but I couldn't, if anything it would only frighten them.
"I am leaving only because it's not safe" I said, Sabrina looked like she could punch me
"All this because you are not safe, how selfish can you be" at this point she was almost screaming on top of her lungs, Vicky sighed and came to hug me
"Follow your heart Luna, I know you would do what's right" Sabrina stared at us unbelief on her face
"Are you just going to let her leave Vicky, we just lost Ethan" She said tears falling from her eyes, Vicky didn't answer her, she stared at me for a long time before she asked
"When are you leaving?" Her voice slightly cracking at the end "tomorrow" I whispered avoiding her gaze, she came to hug me quietly sobbing
"Don't forget us" she whispered and left me alone to myself, I couldn't think straight, I didn't even know if I was doing the right thing, I went to my two favorite places on earth, letting nature ease my stiff muscles for the last time. I spent hours there, just thinking, sometimes tears would slip through my eyelids and I would let them fall. When it was time to leave so, I casually strolled back to my home. The breeze blew carrying the faint smell of smoke and blood, I stopped on my tracks raising my head to see the smoke billowing from our town square, my feet carried me there before I could think about going through the opposite road.
Once I got there, my heart plummeted to the ground
The Village was on fire