Here Today

Chapter 3

     *** Two years later...***

Paul was in his bedroom, cleaning up. He helped sweep and dust, along with the dishes, so all he had to do was clean the bedroom.  While Paul was fixing the bed, he stubbed his toe on something.

He got down on his knees and peeked under the bed. He reached his arm under the bed, to then pull out a cardboard box. He brushed and blew some dust off the lid, revealing a name much clearer now.

" What? Oh.... It's- it's her things."  He opened the box to find jewelry, a journal, beauty products, and other Knicks and knacks. He pulled a bracket from the box and immediately recognized it." Oh Diane...." He whispered.

" Paul?" Paul looked up and saw her.

" Oh! Monica, you frightened me. Sorry, I was just cleaning and I saw this." He gestured the box. Monica saw beside him and watched him go through it.

" It's... , her belongings?" She asked, holding a tiny stuffed bear as if it was foul.

" Yeah... After everything, I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of some of her things." He sighed and placed the bear back in the box carefully.

" Alright." Monica got out and kissed Paul," Throw away your "toys" when you're done, ok babe?"

Paul furrowed his brow." Throw away?"

She turned around and nodded," Uh, yeah!? I don't care if I was her best friend, or if you went out with her. Diane is history!"

" But these are sentimental things. I can't just throw them away!" He said, holding the box tighter.

Monica rolled her eyes and left the room, leaving Paul looking at the box.

----

Paul went down stairs with his coat on, along with the box tucked under his arm. He felt a bit sad have to get rid of the things, but had no choice in his relationship with Monica.

" Ahh! I knew you would come to your senses. Come back ASAP once you're done. " Monica smiled.

Paul just nodded and left the house, taking the taxi to somewhere.

___________

Diane felt as if she was floating in clouds, but it wasn't clouds.

Her eyes were closed and she heard a tranquilizing song echoing through her mind. She felt relaxed and cooled down. Thoughts started lingering in her mind, about Paul.

' I have to see Paul. How could I see him? I miss him so much...' Her heart felt achy and she felt a bit home sick. She begged in her mind to be alive, since she knew about her death.

Diane then felt herself flying, before opening her eyes. She found herself floating in the ocean, alive again. She wasn't sure what to think. She just swam to the surface.

Taking a gasp of icey, cool air, as her jaw quivered and her fingers felt numb. Diane looked up into the sky and wiped the burning saltwater from her eyes. The moon seemed to light up everything around her, so she began the short swim to shore.

She crawled on the to the pebbled shore and laid there, taking in gasps of air. She looked down and saw that her clothes were different. Instead of her high waisted skirt and blouse, she had a long, white, thin gown. She also noticed that her hair was now her original bright ginger hair color, other than the ash brown color she dyed it to.   Her skin was lighter, as if she never tanned in her life. She seemed as if she was reborn.

She got up and tried to wring out the water that was soaked in her gown. She shivered and began to walk to a bus stop. It was the middle of the night, so the route wasn't busy. She waited for a while, before she saw a lorry stopping across the street.