Chapter 08


It was the day after the funeral, and Serrie's gravestone was still heaped with flowers; most of them drooping now.

Joel walked up to it, a bandage still on his wrist, and he sat down on the grass.

"Serrie..." he whispered. Then, louder, "Serrie, I know you can hear me, wherever you are.
"I... I think we met too early, too young. If you'd come along a couple of years later... maybe... we could have made it through.
"I never told you... you never heard me say it, but I love you, I love you and I'll never forget you, I'll always carry you around in my heart with me. I know we fought so much, but I loved you through it all.
"And now you're... you're gone and I guess I cam today to say that whatever happens, I'll never forget you because you taught me about love and forgiveness and even though you cause so much friction in my life, you gave me back so much more... and I'm rambling..."

"Dude!" Paul called from the van. "Dude, we have to leave now if we wanna get to the tour on time!"

Joel leant down and quickly, surreptitiously, kissed Serrie's gravestone. He whispered, "Goodbye," then turned and walked away.

And Serrie's gravestone seemed to shimmer for a second, an echo of a fiery passionate girl who no longer walked the earth.