((Y/N)'s POV) age: 6
Today is the Day of the Dead and my family is coming over for a reunion like we do every year for tradition. We got up super early to get the ofrenda set up and by the time the rest of the family got here and put their photos up with ours in the garage they were all in the house. My mom and uncle were in control of the kitchen every year, no matter whose house it was because they make the best food by following old recipes but changing them up a bit for new flavors. I'm just glad they never ask me for help in the kitchen because their rules sound confusing. I'm the only one outside right now and throwing a rubber ball at the fence to play by myself. This holiday seemed kind of pointless to me besides the food and talking about our family that passed away. We can do that every day in the whole year, and we have their pictures to remember them then the parents and grandparents tell stories about them until you remember them all then keep going until you get a headache. I know the stories of some of my family by heart and one is pretty bad... My great, great, great grandma June.
(Y/N)'s mind-Still can't get over her story.
She was the most caring out of everyone in our family. She helped everyone without thinking of herself, was a nurse, and married a man she helped from being homeless. A few years before she died her husband did something called 'cheating' and her son became a criminal, so the stress killed her after she tried to help them too much. It's a really sad story. I got caught up in it but snapped out of it when I missed the ball coming back and it was heading for the ofrenda, so I ran after it.
(Y/N)-No, no, no, no, no, no, no, nooo!
I almost had it, but it knocked down a picture.
*Crack*
I caught the ball before it did anything else then checked the picture to see it was my great, great, great grandma June... There was a crack in the corner of the frame. I put the picture back where it belonged.
(Y/N)'s mind-Maybe nobody will notice.
I just put the ball up and ran back inside the house to be with everyone else then come out later tonight when we have a block party outside with music and some games like beanbag toss, darts, and stuff the neighbors have. We take this time to also look at the Ofrenda and my mom always quizzes me on who is who, but I wonder how tonight will go.
(No POV)
As the cracked picture of June (L/N) sat on the ofrenda a flower petal danced in the wind and then landed right on the crack. It sat there for a moment or two before a few more flower petals joined it on June's picture alone then started glowing. Something was happening and it called to someone in the afterlife.
???-Hm?
(Timeskip to Night)
((Y/N)'s POV)
A few of my family members put on face paint for the block party and when we heard the music outside that meant the party was starting. My mommy wanted me to eat some 'real food' before I went out and filled up on cookies and stuff that were not offerings, so I had to make sure an adult gave it to me to know that this was not an offering that the dead get first. Part of the road was closed off for fireworks that were cool to watch. Soon I went back to my house to get some more leftovers for dinner, but when I made it back home, on the way I bumped into someone and then looked to see a woman who took dressing up and makeup very seriously.
She looked very pretty and I never saw her before and she looked surprised before she held her hand out to me.
???-Are you alright?
I took her hand but looked at her outfit to see the flowers were glowing on her and wondered where she got them. When I got up she bent down to me and then looked around.
???-You can see and touch me?
(Y/N)-Huh? What do you mean?
???-What about the others?... Like me.
I wondered what she meant then for some reason she looked a little familiar somehow, but I never saw her before at all... Have I? I just looked around and saw nobody dressed as much as her, so I just shook my head no to her then she looked at my house. I just went to my front yard and she followed me then for a second I thought I was seeing things because someone went through her right hip a little...
(Y/N)'s mind-Maybe they just brushed her dress.
She looked at my family's ofrenda while I went inside where I was all alone. Something told me to wait inside until that lady went back out to the party, so I just went to the bathroom first and then thought she might be gone.
(Y/N)'s mind-Wonder who she was... Maybe just someone from another family visiting.
I walked out into the living room and jumped when I saw something really scary... She was in the house!
(Y/N)-Wh-What are you doing in here?!
(June's POV)
It slipped my mind that this would look back because I was just so used to walking in the home of my family when little to nobody was here to be alone. It was a habit and now I scared my poor great, great, great grandson (Y/N). I still don't know how he can see me and not the other dead people outside visiting their families and enjoying their offerings. I had to calm him down.
June-Please don't be scared! I-I didn't mean any harm to you!
He backed up a little while I slowly walked to him then he ran to his room to close and lock the door, but I easily walked through the door... Again, a habit of mine seemed to terrify him and I just felt awful. His (E/C) eyes were shaking as much as his body now, just full of fear which made my heart ache with guilt then tears were building up in his eyes.
June-No, no, no, no, don't be scared. ~
(Y/N)-Y-Y-You j-just... walked th-through... You're... Y-You're...
I gently just cupped his cheeks and rubbed his head before pulling him into a hug while shushing him. He struggled a bit at first before he slowly settled down, so I slowly picked him up to put him on his bed and then gave him a toy to hold.
June-*Shhhhh*... You're doing much better now pequeño. ~
I rocked him a little until he was completely better then I let him go. He was still nervous like I was a stranger, but maybe I just needed to introduce myself.
June-Look how big you've grown over the years... Your name is (Y/N), correct?
(Y/N)-Wh-Who are you?
June-You may not recognize me like this, but I am your great, great, great grandma June.
I took at the hat that I wore before I crossed over and he looked at the decoration I put into it myself. His eyes once filled with fear before me were now full of curiosity which put a smile on my face. It reminded me of my son when he was his age, but then remembered where he was now which was a prison after he did not clean up his act. My husband ended up in the slums because after he died from drinking and partying with other women after he left me. I still hold out hope to repair my part of the family, but my son and husband do not wish for it to be so. It breaks my heart to have their stories be told every year to tell generation after generation what not to turn into. Tears started to build up in my eyes now.
June-... *Sniffle*.
(Y/N)-Are you ok?
June-Oh, d-do not worry about me mi nieto.
(Y/N)-... Oh... Your husband and son?
June-*Sigh*... I guess you do pay attention to stories.
(Y/N)-Mostly Bruno, like how he was brave and daring when he was a kid... then he started stealing, a-and killed people when he got caught.
He looked guilty when he told me a small piece of my tragic life and it made me cry without being able to hold it in. We were once a loving family.
((Y/N)'s POV)
I can't believe I'm seeing my dead grandma June, and now I made her cry because I remembered she was the most caring in the family... I guess she's still sad about what happened.
June-*Hic* *hic* Mi hijo. *sobbing*
She really is the most caring. I hugged her now to try and get her to stop crying then she pulled me into her lap to cry into me. I tried copying what she did to make me not scared of her as much anymore, but this was still freaky. I was cuddling a skeleton... she was still kind of soft when you get to look past her being all bones and maybe the magic was the soft part.
(Y/N)-I know your story too... You loved fashion and made new clothes for the poor and needy and even cooked big meals for the town.
June-*Hic* *hic*... Th-That's where my husband and I met... H-H-He was funny.
I didn't think bringing up her husband was a good idea, so I just hugged her some more. I know the party is outside, but I think June needs someone here more... This a day for the dead... I wonder if anyone else spent it like this. My aunt broke up with someone and it helped her by making fun of them... Maybe it'll help June too.
(Y/N)-You know... You are called the most caring in the family.
June-M-Maybe. *sniffle*
(Y/N)-In the stories, he sounded like a big dummy... My mom and other adults call him bad words sometimes when they think I'm not around.
June-*Gasp* Pequeño, you should be listening to that then. You're only 6.
(Y/N)-I know not to say bad words... Anyway, your husband did sound like a big dummy. There was even a story of him trying to make a pool and will it with drinks for a party.
June-... *Giggle* N-No, he dug a hole for a pool to throw a party. He had too many drinks and hurt himself by constantly tripping over himself in the hole and hitting rocks. You should've seen his face when it stormed and mud filled the hole... He cried like a baby for hours until he drank some more.
(Y/N)-*Snicker* Did he really?
June-Like a boy your age throwing a tantrum.
(Timeskip 1 Hour)
She told me funny stories about her husband that really made me laugh. I never heard of any of these and it was like a funny show when you picture it. I even showed her some of my favorite toys and tried to let her play with them, but they fell through her hands. I was confused since she could sit and lay back on my bed just fine.
(Y/N)-*Yawn*.
June-Awwww, Mi nieto. You look tired. ~
(Y/N)-I'm fine.
June-No. You need sleep to grow and stay healthy.
(Y/N)-Are you leaving?
June-Yes, I have to go soon, but I did have a nice night. I'm to see we still have sweet Niños in the family.
She tucked me in bed and then poked my nose before she gave me lots of kisses with soft, yet boney kisses. She sat by my side and hummed a song to me while she rubbed my head until I fell asleep. It felt nice to have someone stay by my side even if I knew when I woke up, she would be gone.
(Timeskip 40 Minutes)
(June's POV)
I hadn't felt this warm inside for a long time and it was from my great, great, great grandson then his door opened and I saw his mother (M/N) checking on him without seeing me before she left. When the sun rises, I will be gone, but I do look forward to seeing him next year. I waited until the sun started to rise before I put my hat back on the left (Y/N)'s room to go see the ofrenda one last time to look at my son and husband's photos. I looked back to see the others fading back to the afterlife, but when the sun was fully up...
June-I'm still in the living world?
I walked out into the sunlit street to see the aftermath of last night's party being mostly fireworks left on the ground to be swept up. I tried to pick one up, but it faded through my hand. This was confusing...
June's mind-How am I still here?