Remembering Sunday ( A Zack Merrick Fanfic)

23). Graveyard Blues

Looking at the engraving on the headstone, Zack holds back a gasp. Persephone Carlie, the name carved in stone with little flowers surrounding it. That's why he thought the lady was Thea because he had just found Thea's mother.

"What happened to them?" He asked, wanting her hear her side of the story.

Flicking a piece of grey and brown hair away from her face. She pauses, taking a deep breath before launching into the story. "Persephone, Persie, died because of an accident." Pausing, she shines the flash light to the grave next to her. "Athena, I don't even know if she's dead. The police declared her dead but never found a body. My Husband wanted her to have a grave, even through he refused to go to the funeral. She didn't take her sisters death well, it's my fault. God, I shouldn't have taken her to Therapy, that school social worker never helped. I don't actually thinks she's dead, maybe she's just afraid of coming home." She sniffed, wiping away a tear with her gloved hands.

"What about you?  Nobody walks around a graveyard yelling out for someone for no reason." She asked, before breaking into coughing.

"My girlfriend, she ran off looking for a grave." Zack replies, leaving out the part of his girlfriend being that lady's daughter.

"I would love to hear your story but the cold isn't good for old lungs. I hope you find your girlfriend." She finally says through more fits of coughing. Walking down the stone path, she stops for moment before turning back to Zack. "Can you hear that?"

"No" he calls out.

"Sorry, I swore I could hear my daughter crying. It must just be my hearing going." She says. Shaking her head, she stares into the dark for  a moment before walking down the path.

Watching her light, soon disappear into darkness . Zack finally calls out, "Thea you can come out from behind that headstone now."

Standing up from her hiding place. Thea looks like a mess, hair filled with sticks and leaves, clothes covered in mud. She's quick to walk up to Zack, embracing him tightly, sobbing into his jacket. Returning her hug, Zack holds her gently. "Thee it isn't your fault." he whispers.

Looking up at him, her face streaked with tears. "It is my fault Zack. I could of stopped hiding and talked to her." She says through messy sobs.

"Thea, look I promise we'll fix this mess. Donna isn't a threat anymore, we can fix this." He reassured.

Looking up at Zack's face, Thea just cried more. She still hadn't told Zack about Donna's letters, afraid of hurting him. He was trying to help but Donna was still a huge threat to everything.

"Sorry Thea, I'm not good at talking or cheering people up." He admitted, feeling stupid that he couldn't even cheer his girlfriend up.

"Zack it's okay, let's just go home." Thea spoke as she pulled away from the hug. Not realizing that she had referred to Zack's house as home. She felt more at comfort wedged between Zack and his friends on a couch more than anywhere in her apartment. 

Holding Thea's hand and using his phone light to navigate the way out of the graveyard. Zack successfully found the road where his car was parked waiting for his returned. Unlocking the doors, the pair climbed in the car.

The drive back to Zack's house was silence, both Thea and Zack were exhausted. They were turning into his drive when Zack finally spoke up. "Hey Thea, Donna isn't a threat right. You haven't heard from her in years?" He asked, still unsure of the beautiful mess he got himself into.

"Yeah, don't worry Zack I haven't heard from Donna since I was in that place." Thea lied, shuddering at the thought of the old farm house Donna had kept her and others in. Nodding, happy with her lie, Zack opened the car door happy to be home after a awful day.