Love, Death, & Everywhere Between

It was a cold and gloomy day. Even though it wasn’t raining yet dark clouds loomed over threateningly.

Not so ironically, a perfect day for a funeral.

I stood at the back of the crowd that was gathered in the cemetery. I watched as they lowered the casket down into the rectangular hole that was dug into the ground.

I never planned to come back to this town again, but here I was at the funeral of someone who I once was close to.

Theo Landon was my best friend in high school. We still kept in touch now and then. He was my only connection left to this cursed place that I’ve been running from for the last two years. He was planning to leave in a few months, but unfortunately for him, he wasn’t able to make it out alive.

When I received the phone call from his mother, I still couldn’t believe it. He had just turned twenty a few days ago, and how he would forever be twenty.

A tragic accident, they said. He drove off the road and into a tree. The cause of death wasn’t from the impact, though. The autopsy showed a lethal dose of drugs in his system. They ruled it an accidental overdose. I couldn’t believe it. Theo didn’t do drugs. At least not that I know of, but I guess time can change anyone.

“Atlas,” a soft, musical voice whispers quietly from behind me.

I close my eyes and let out a deep breath that I didn’t know I had been holding.

I don’t even need to turn my head. I would recognize that voice anywhere.

It had only been two years since I heard her voice, but even after a whole lifetime I wouldn’t of been able to forget it even if I wanted to. I still heard it so often in my dreams and nightmares.

“Emilia Wrynn,” I whisper the name I've barely uttered since the day I left this town.

As she moved to stand beside me, I stole a glance without meaning to. I just couldn’t help myself.

No matter how many times I tried to forget about her, it always seemed impossible. It must be true that first love cannot be forgotten. Even if that first love was unrequited.

She was just as tiny as I remembered. Petite and dainty. I had to tilt my head far down to see her more clearly.

Her face was as angelic as ever. Clear and bright skin, blue eyes that are so light that they seem almost transparent, light wavy long hair tied back in a ribbon. A slender body adorned with a white, long-sleeved dress that goes down to just above her knees.

She might just have been the only person who would even dare to wear a white dress to a funeral.

Glancing over her a second time, I gulped as I noticed how her figure had changed over the last few years since I’ve seen her. Soft curves that she didn’t have before.

Even though she was still just as bright and lively as she had always been, I could see that she certainly was no longer the sixteen-year-old girl from back then. Now she was eighteen and even more enchanting, beautiful, and terrifying all at once. The type of person you can’t help but fall in love with at first glance every time you see her, but then immediately regret it after, over and over again.

I couldn’t help but think back to the day I first met her. The very first time I met Emilia Wrynn, she quite literally charmed me.

The Wrynn family had moved to town a few months before my thirteenth birthday. They bought what used to be an antique bookstore that had been abandoned for three years prior. Supposedly, it was haunted, but maybe that was the appeal it had. After all, they turned it into an occult store within the month. How they got it renovated and set up so quickly, I’ll never known.

My mom had sent me with some rice cakes to welcome them to the neighborhood. It was rainy that day, too.

I remember feeling both nervous and intrigued as I pushed open the old doors to the store. There had been no signs of anyone inside. I called out a hello but heard no answer. I had set the carefully wrapped plate of rice cakes on the front counter before wandering among the countless aisles of items I’ve never seen before other than maybe on a TV screen. Candles shaped as all types of things. Incense sticks. Ouji boards and spirit boxes. Glass cases with objects I couldn’t ever describe. And so many more things.

Just when I had leaned closer to look at something that had caught my eye, I heard a melodious giggle fill the air. I jerked my head around trying to find the source, but I saw no one. Goosebumps covered my arms as I had thought of all the rumors.

“Get yourself together. There’s no such things as ghost.” Little me had tried to convince myself more than anything.

“Oh, there very much is ‘such things as ghosts’. They also do not like being referred to that way.” Called back a voice just as pleasant as the laughter from earlier.

As I spun around in every which direction, there still was no one in my direct sight. However, I could see a blur of movement from behind one of the shelves.

I tried to keep my voice even as I asked, “Are you a ghost?” It sounded silly even from my perspective, but when I heard the familiar laugh from earlier respond back I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.

“I’m afraid not. I’m something much scarier.” The soft, high, musical voice replied back.

I moved slowly as I neared the end of the aisle. I no longer felt scared, but more nerved for other reasons. “Yeah? Like what?”

It was silent for a good moment. Even with the eerie silence, I crept closer to where I believed the voice was coming from.

As I was about to turn the corner the voice called out, “Human.” just as a face poked out from around the corner, inches away from my own. In surprise I let out a shout as I stumbled backwards, crashing down onto the hardwood floors.

Another giggle came out the mouth of the figure that now stood in front of me.

A girl.

As I stared at her, she stared right back. She looked to be probably around my age, maybe a year or two younger.

She wore a simple short-sleeved, knee length, white dress. She paried it with white lace trimmed socks. She was tiny and dainty with skin so pale she could have certainly been a ghost like. Her light blonde hair was tied back in a ribbon. Icy blue eyes that seemed to be piercing right through me as she gazed at me from beneath long eyelashes. Light freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose, spilling over her cheeks.

Back then I wasn’t at the stage where I found girls cute yet, but for some reason I couldn’t help but have those thoughts towards this girl. She was like one of those porcelain dolls that I would see in antique shop windows. I always wanted one but my father refused saying it wasn’t a toy to be played with.

I still can picture her flowing movements as she moved closer to me; almost as if she were floating or dancing. She stopped just before me. Bending her knees, and offering her hand to me.

Without thinking I reached out and took her hand and let her help me up.

She smiled. “Sorry for giving you quite a scare. I am Emilia. What is your name?” She glanced at me with big curious eyes.

“Atlas.” I said as I quickly retracted my hand. “I live nearby. I just came to bring some rice cakes that my mother made.”

“I’m Emilia.” She lets out a soft hum as she grabs my hand back and pulls it close.

“What are you-”

She traced the index finger of her left hand against my wrist while murmuring something under her breath.

I felt a tingling sensation. Startled, I had immediately pull my hand away. “What are you doing!?” I shouted as I hold my wrist right where she had touched it.

“It’s a protection charm. I just had a the feeling you might need it.” She said so casually.

The way she spoke made me suddenly feel so nervous.“I- I got to go.” I stammered out before scurrying off.

As I neared the door I couldn’t help but pause and look back. Emilia peeked out from the other side of the bookshelf and waved a hand.

I gulped before running out the door. I didn’t stop running until I was at the doorstep of my house. As luck would have it, as soon as I touched the door knob a bolt of lightning hit less than a foot from me. I felt a burning feeling on my wrist right where the girl had touched it. I peered down to see a small thin white circular outline with peculiar writing in it that I could not understand.

That was how it all started. That should have been my warning to stay away, but still I felt drawn to the strange girl who lived in the occult shop.

“It wasn’t an accident.” Emilia repeats, breaking me out of my memories.