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Rest in Peace (4) : While making your way through Destiny City, you wind up taking a path you’ve never taken before. Maybe you’re following directions, maybe you got lost, maybe you were just looking for a shortcut—things were going well, until you wind up needing to pass through a graveyard. It seems normal enough—until you pass by a grave and get a powerful chill down your spine. When you stop and look at it, you see the gravestone has your name; beneath it, your birthday and today’s date. If you leave and return, the gravestone remains, but the name and dates look like they’ve been clawed off.
Tonight Noelle was out a little late working on a project with some friends from school. They all had to put together a living history project of sorts. Helping bring the past to life today.
Originally she had planned to stay over at her friend Elisa's house, but last minute Elisa got to feeling sick in her stomach. So she explained she didn't mind and would just walk home on her own. After she had a phone and flashlight, plus she only lived a couple of minutes away.
Moreover, she didn't want to risk waking up her nanny. She knew she would rush out of the house at a second notice for her and really that would be rude at this time of night. Plus she had her comfy fluffy snow boots on, so she was well prepared to walk and be merry. Per her character.
As she was walking down the sidewalk to her house, covered by the light of the streetlights. She noticed a construction sign pointing to a detour path. She quickly got on the detour not thinking much of it. After all, it just was supposed to wrap around the building and avoid the construction. Not much harm in that she figured.
That was until she noticed fog covering her boots. "that's odd," she whispered. Today was bright and sunny, and nowhere did she read it was a time for the fog of any kind. "Maybe it is a Halloween decor thing," she said to herself as she kept on walking. To calm herself just a bit, she began to sing Christmas carols. "Over the river and through the woods, To grandmother's house we go; The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh, Through (the) white and drifted snow!" The joyous carol seemed to get her a few more feet down the detour pathway. That was until she started to feel something a bit different than the pavement below her feet. So her tune slowly came to a halt.
Something didn't feel right to her it felt more like grass instead of pavement. She tried to move around sideways and that was when she tripped over something and went head over knees in a roll. Until she came with her back hard against a huge tree base.
"man that hurt," she said rubbing her head and then her back before standing to her feet. As much pain as she was in she was determined to see what got in her way. She grabbed her flashlight out of her jolly bag and pointed it in the direction she had come.
It took her a few seconds until she found the culprit, a gravestone of all things. She quickly went up to the stone and tried to trace a name with her fingertips but instead of a name she felt a sudden chill down her already hurting back. "Now that was weird," she said as she turned back to the headstone to look for a name. Only this time instead of a name she didn't know she saw one she did - Her's!
Not only that but it had her birthday and today's date as the day of death. She jumped in fright backward as if crawling to get away from it, but then she just shook her head. No, I'm a Senshi and you creepy gravestone you don't scare me.
She reached into her backpack and pulled out a few things she had brought to use on the history project with her friends. First, she pulled out a wreath placing it next to the headstone on the left, then she grabbed some poinsettias placing them on the top of the headstone, and finally she grabbed a tin of Christmas cookies of all varieties and placed it on the right side.
As soon as she finished she zipped up her bag and began to sing.
"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze
For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home..."
She sang the song until the very last word and then smiled towards the headstone.
"I apologize headstone but tonight is not the night of my demise," she said with a smile before continuing, "but tonight will be the night I showed you the Christmas cheer I still need to share with the world. So I will be going home tonight and I hope you enjoy the gifts!"
Now, most would think she was crazy for talking to a headstone, but she knew it wasn't your normal stone. So she felt like she had reached it as the fog around her began to clear and she felt the relief of sorts in her bones even if she was still in a bit of pain.
She stood up dusted off her clothes and headed to leave. She figured walking back in the direction she came, would probably get her back on the right street, and this time no detour.
She didn't look back that night and instead just headed straight to her home. It took her about ten minutes to get there. She unlocked the door, went instead, locked the door, went upstairs, cleaned up, and headed straight to bed. Tonight had been one of those crazy nights and all she wanted right now was sleep.
In the morning she was woken up by the sun, and before anyone could say anything to her. She got up and dressed as quickly as lightning. She grabbed her bag and headed back to where it all started last night.
Though as she arrived at this graveyard she noticed the headstone where her name had sat last night. Now a giant claw mark was scratched where her name had been. Somehow though nothing but the cookies had been disturbed or well-eaten. She was so glad, "I'm glad you enjoyed the treats!" After knowing her gifts were appreciated she turned and went home.
All well that ends well and of course, she was still breathing.
WORD COUNT: 1,015
