The clouds wept a silent rain among the unfortunate people who gathered around to bid farewell to our beloved Marie. I was standing near the uncovered grave watching the coffin. The tears were falling from my eyes, getting mixed with the rain droplets trickling down my cheeks. I couldn't forget the sobs of Marie's mother and father when they said few words for their daughter. She was their only child, and today, they lost everything.
I was feeling so guilty that I couldn't raise my eyes to see Marie's picture placed on a board near her Grave. I recalled her beautiful smile that vanished away forever, only because of me. Though everybody has to die someday, but it wasn't her time. Adrian took her soul away just to give my soul back to me. But why Marie? He could have taken anyone's soul. But why he had chosen her? I bombarded my mind with so many unanswered questions.
The grave was covered soon. I saw Marie's parents walking together arm in arm, away from the graveyard. Chase placed his arm around me, and I rested my head softly on his shoulder. I was feeling so numb that I forgot how the pain of losing someone actually felt like.
I kept staring at her grave in disbelief, and lots of old memories returned. I was a little girl when my father died. My mom convinced me that he went to heaven, to look after my baby brothers. And somehow, I agreed to that. May be, I wanted to disbelieve my loss at that time too. I wanted this to be an illusion too. May be, I would open my eyes and she would be standing there right in front of me like Chase.
"Gabriella must be tricking me again!" I whispered.
Chase squeezed my shoulders softly without saying anything.
"Yeah, she's tricking me." I told myself again.
Chase spoke," Let's go, Lily. The funeral is over."
I looked around, and everyone was gone except me and Chase. I saw a man in black suit standing at a distance. He adjusted his black hat and started walking away.
"ADRIAN! You can't do this to me." I shouted at him.
But he kept walking away. Chase grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.
"Lily, calm down. Marie slipped from the stairs and broke her neck. It's not anyone's fault."
"You don't know. Adrian is the Grim Reaper.He took her soul just to save me."
Chase shook my shoulders. "You need to calm down. You're losing your mind."
I touched the butterfly pendant around my neck.
"I am scared, Chase. I really am."
"Of whom?"
He brushed back my wet hair behind my ears. The rain droplets trickled down my eyelashes to my lips.
"I'm scared of Adrian. I thought, I was in love with him. But this isn't love."
I saw a tinge of color in Chase's pale cheeks. His lips twisted into a little smile.
"I'll take care of you, I promise. You don't need to be afraid of anyone."
He opened the door of his car for me and I sat in.
As Chase drove through the graveyard, I saw Adrian watching me from behind a gravestone with his intense smoky eyes. I knew, he wasn't happy to see me and Chase together.
"Will you believe me if I told you something?" I asked.
I had to tell Chase everything about Adrian. He should understand the danger I was about to drag him into.
"I'll believe you." He replied.
"Promise?" I touched his arm softly.
"Promise, Lil."
I told him everything about the death tune, and the places where I had seen Adrian before he joined our high school. Chase listened to me patiently, without interrupting my story. I paused at few places to give him enough time to absorb everything. I told him how I met Adrian in our music room and the reason behind joining his class.
Chase interrupted me for the first time, when I finished telling him about my first meeting with Adrian in the music class.
"Does he really play that well?" He raised his eyebrows.
"You have no idea how good he can play. He stimulates the ears and makes you see things that he wants to.."
"So, you actually believe that he's Jonas Wagon?"
"I do!"
Chase nodded without saying a word about it further.
I told Chase the story of Adrian turning into a Grim Reaper. Then I told him about Gabriella and her demand of taking my butterfly pendant.
"Next time, whenever you met Gabriella, Just give this pendant to her. Okay?" Chase commented.
"No, I won't. I don't know her intentions yet. She almost tricked me to kill you."
Chase raised his eyebrow.
"Sorry?"
"Chase, I almost killed you last night. Adrian came there to take your soul away but I offered him mine. So, to save me, he took Marie's soul instead." I explained.
"DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THIS CRAP?" Chase said.
"YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME? You said, you would believe me... Stop the car right now, Chase."
I felt so stupid.
"Adrian's manipulating you. He's probably some mental person, who's interested in younger girls."
"You mean James Wilson?"
"Who the hell is James Wilson?" Chase said.
"You don't remember showing me the newspaper cuttings?"
"Nope. I have no idea what you're talking about." Chase shook his head, "Tell me about James Wilson."
He stopped the car in front of my house.
"Never mind."
I got out of the car, and Chase followed me.
"It's not like, I don't believe you. But Lily, your story sounds so unreal. It sounds more like a teenage thriller story, doesn't it?"
"I shouldn't have told you the story." I started walking towards my house. I was so disappointed at Chase's response. If he wouldn't believe my story, then who would?
"LILY!" He held my arm softly before I reached the main door.
"I want to believe you. But I am scared for you..."
"What do you mean?"
"You need to see a psychiatrist. May be, you're hallucinating..."
I wanted to punch him so hard but I tightened my fist.
"She isn't hallucinating." I heard a velvet voice behind Chase.
Adrian walked beside Chase, and came between us. He was still wearing his black suit.
"Stay away from me." I warned him.
Chase came in front of me.
"You heard the girl. She doesn't want you. Leave her alone."
Adrian ignored him, and kept looking at me.
"I came to apologize to you. It wasn't my intention to make you sad. But I had chosen this life only to get to you. And I can't lose you now."
He tried to reach for my hand but Chase stopped him.
Adrian looked at me, and spoke.
"Ask the boy to get away, Please."
I whispered," Step aside, Chase."
"No, Lily. I won't let this mad man come near you."
"Please, Chase." I repeated.
I was scared that Adrian might hurt him. Adrian stretched his hand and offered me his fist.
I touched my fingers at his fist and he opened my hand. There was a red rose growing out of nowhere on his palm.
"I love you. And I could never do anything to hurt you."
I looked into Adrian's eyes and I felt tears twinkling there.
"Adrian, your Gabriella is alive. I am not the person you had been searching for."
"May be, you aren't. But I don't care. You have given my dead heart a reason to beat again. And I won't let anyone take away my reason to live."
Adrian stretched his arms and I had to hug him. I didn't know why but it felt like a right thing to do.
He looked at Chase and said," She's right. I am the Grim Reaper. Whatever she told you is true. Just believe her."
Chase stood speechless, watching us.
"I won't hurt her. I promise you." He added.
Chase spoke," Lily, he's manipulating you again. Even if he's the Grim Reaper as he had told you, but still he's not telling you the truth. Can't you see?"
I knew, I shouldn't have told Chase. I was too sad for Marie that I exposed Adrian's Secret.
I nodded," I know, what I am doing."
Chase drove off, leaving us alone outside my house.
I spoke weakly," I'm sorry that I told Chase about you. But I don't understand why you took Marie instead of anyone else?"
"I had to take someone's soul. The first name that came in my mind was Marie. I had no time to think of anyone else. I'm so sorry. But I had to save you."
I was about to unlock the door when Adrian dragged me away from the door to the window.
"Do you know how to climb trees?"
"No..."
He held my arm and jumped up. We flew almost 8 feet above the ground, and reached the highest branch of the tree just outside my window. He opened the window and helped me get inside my room.
"Will you come?" I asked.
He shook his head," I have some work to do."
I replied sadly," I don't like what you do."
"No, it's not about my Grim Reaper business. It's something that a normal boyfriend would do for someone he loves..."
"What's that?"
"You'll find out soon." He smiled and jumped off the tree.