AN OLD MEMORY

The last gift…

As Noah told her earlier, he was present for his father’s funeral. Ophelia never got the chance to attend funerals except for her clan's.

But she was sure they were meant to be more crowded than this. It was her, Noah, and his parents, Merrick, Oswald, and Hero. No one else came. No one wanted to be here. The Council only approved this burial as a thank you to Noah for being a hero.

Ophelia didn’t judge them, she would be lying if she said she felt sorry for Dustin. She was here because of what it meant to Noah.

He wanted to bury a part of him with Dustin. Lock it all underneath the wooden lid of the coffin, and deep into the ground. Perhaps then, it would make his heart feel lighter.

It was raining lightly now in the woods, the sky was paid actor as it shed tears over all those they had lost, the water droplets puttered against the leaves above their heads in a steady rhythm.

Noah chose to bury his father on the flat land next to the lake. He hated this lake, alway