The night went relatively smooth. Many would pin the night in the graveyard as a night plagued with nightmares. She didn’t get nightmares at her grandfather’s house though. Not even with the hole in the ceiling. Not with the moth-eaten curtain and blanket. Not even with the fading colors of the walls.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Vbp6SrLdz
She dreamt of her grandpa, kneeling in the well-trimmed grass, cleaning the tombstones. He told stories of God and the Goddess, heavily worshipped deity of an alternate reality. Marissa sat in the grass, watching him and listening to the story intently, in her younger kid's body. She smiled and asked questions, which she answered. Now that she was awake though, she couldn’t remember the questions off-hand. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMCJtIybbt
Today, Mar had to clean up the house, but she would start with her room since that’s where she was sleeping. She couldn’t work if she didn’t sleep well. Sleep was essential. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuPaLEJG4h
Webb took down the ruined curtains and unmade the bed, throwing the ruined fabric on the bed. Getting a broom, she swept up the room. Dust and debris flew in the hair, causing her to cough and grab her stomach from the heavy cough. Her nose ran as her allergies acted up. Needing to leave the room, she gathered the sheets and walked outside. The smell of fresh air and blooming flowers filled the air, quite the opposite of the musty room. She couldn’t help but smile and take in the sun. Even though the town was surrounded by fog, the village had beautiful weather. You could see the fog on the faint horizon. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByRh3H3q9s
Carrying the sheets, she walked to a pillar and knelt down. Since they didn’t have garbage trucks to dispose of the garbage, they would typically burn most items. Marissa placed the fabrics on the pillar and lit the pile on fire with a match her grandfather kept relatively close.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCv0PU6OZS
The smoke wafted in the air, leaving a very strong smell of wood burning, from the sheets.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLWhc9hM1W
“I hope you’re burning these items safely. Fires are a dangerous tool, Mari.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0u2w3rK7S
Marissa recognizes that tone. Jensen Hamilton. Her old friend and her ex-boyfriend. The two never broke it off because of hatred towards one another. They were just going a different path. He, working to provide for his mother. Marissa, exploring life. The two had very different ideologies. One wanted to settle down. One wanted to go out and live life.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbcyTwWRLy
“Is it, Mr. Hamilton? I think I’m quite aware of the dangerous property of fire.” She was then lifted in the air and hugged tightly. Black coal dust painted her skin. He smelled like labor and the mines.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXBhtpQMlI
“I missed you, Mari. God, I missed you. How have you’ve been? What was it like? Did you meet anyone special?” He was rambling about more questions but the lack of oxygen flowing through her brain because of the bear hug made her unable to breathe.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUARlzgCer
“Can’t…breathe.” She said in between gasps and he dropped her. It wasn’t a far drop due to him not being much taller than her. “To answer your question, yes.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFmB5DSKPH
He grinned and looked at the burning pile. “It’s been forever. Centuries in dog years.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcq2sj4gEz
“Five times seven is not centuries.” 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDWJG1bTQw
“35 years in cat years is centuries.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65V8dFdaIj
She snorted and looked hugged his arm. “If my house wasn’t so dilapidated, I’d offer you a shower.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E5IDN8JoZ
Knitting brows in confusion, she looked at him. “What’s a shower?” Modernism typically didn’t play a big role in this role. She just shook her head and smirked. “Are you saying I smell? This is what hard work does? Smelliness.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YIPbei0dQ
The two just teased each other and after a while, the two were sitting in comfortable silence. “How has your mom been?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhLhtPy8eZ
“You know mom. ‘You need a suitable wife and give me grandbabies’…She thought you and I were going to make her grandbabies.” He looked to the horizon of well-polished headstones.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWRzRInX4k
Marissa snorted. “Really? Well, that’s the equivalent of being in love with me. Is she still running the butcher shop? I suppose I should have food. This place is probably going to last a lot longer than I can without food. I have to hope that my Grandfather has money saved away. I don’t want to go to my parents.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7CdohbjfT
“Your parents never hated you, they miss you even. They just became more reclusive. More so than usual. But don’t worry about paying, most of the stores are honoring what you’re doing. Tom may be a bit difficult, along with a few of the older people. Saying it’s your fault for the death of your grandfather.” He raised his hand before she could interject. “It’s not. It’s not your fault. If he blamed you, you think he would have given you the place versus his son and mother-in-law?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i89A3cCU7
Marissa shrugged. “I suppose not. I’ll visit your mom though.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eSAssArnR
“She’ll probably snare you with dinner, for memories and catching up. Now, do you need help with anything, Mari?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB7v8cEEr6
“Unless you and your carpenter friends can fix up the house, no?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyl09cEcfe
“Sounds like an invitation. All I ask is for dinner. What are your plans for tonight?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNaUPq8R9C
“Getting some sheets for curtains and the bed?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedSUXTHpTH
He beamed like a child seeing the dream bike he wanted for Christmas. “Ma has curtains and sheets. Come down for dinner.” 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGJSw5zKIS
Before she could say no, he waved and walked away. She yelled at him but all she got was the crackling of the dying fire. She extinguished the fire and exhaled slowly. The ashes flew in the wind and she closed her eyes. Already, the town was excited to have her, granted Tom and his elderly posy. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUOG7b3Z69
Marissa looked in the distance where the dead were buried and saw a familiar apparition. She could see a smile, then the figure disappeared. “I love you too, Grandpappy.”
~~Author's Note~~295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK9IaTJHR0
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Sorry. It has been longer than two weeks. College, work, and overall life has been busy. Hopefully, it won't happen again and I'll have a better time management295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0T9wVxN8O
