The End or A Beginning?…

She waited by the grave side, waited for…?…she knew not what, but she kept her vigil. No-one came near, although she could see a man working in the distance, clearing weeds, tidying, but she lost him, lost track of him in the vast area of the dead. The irregular monuments to people, loved ones, stood higgledy piggledy. Some seemingly impossibly upright, as if a fingers touch would make them fall to the ground, their proclamation to the world of who rested beneath the earth was long gone, just a few letters here and there, so if you were good at puzzles here was your chance to try and decipher the code of ages past…But she wasn’t there to play, or to grieve for the dead . She was there to wait and she still couldn’t remember why.  She wracked her brains, why was she here and who was she waiting for?..…

AS dusk started it’s task of making way for the nightfall, she tried to walk away from the spot beside the grave, but she couldn’t move more than a few feet. There seemed to be an invisible wall, a totally impenetrable wall surrounding her. She stared at the newly dug grave, the soil still a dark, moist looking brown. Untidily, it stood out from it’s neighbours on either side as they were covered in grass, sparse in places, but were obviously older residents. The headstone was also new, she hadn’t tried to read the inscription, too deep into her thought process, but now as she leant forward in order to do so, she felt a sudden reluctance as if something was wrong and reading the words etched there would start a process, something not wanted, something awry.   She told herself firmly to stop imagining things, there must be an explanation somewhere, or else she’d be here all night. ‘So read,’ she admonished herself!!  Try as she might her eyes wouldn’t focus properly, as if they were fighting her will. Shaking her head, she tried again, leaning and edging slightly forward, trying not to let her shoes sink into the newly dug earth. Her mind wouldn’t put the words together as they swan into focus, suddenly, shockingly,  she remembered her name..

It was etched there, in the black marble. New gold lettering proclaimed to anyone interested that She was lying beneath the soil, that she was dead. Yet she couldn’t be, she was standing there alone in the darkness of night and she was suddenly, chillingly,  frightened. A thought filtered it’s way through her paralyzed brain that if she wasn’t dead already, she’d have probably died of shock and she almost smiled.  Glancing up, the smile formed, grew, and widened, as she saw someone she hadn’t seen for years, ….her Grandfather….He stood watching her, his face serene, his eyes, those blue eyes of his, honest and clear which could be so stern on occasions past, were water filled and his smile was heaven to see. Then her Nana appeared,  she’d been almost glued to her side in her early years.  A small group was growing, widening out, too many to recognise and suddenly just as quickly disappeared. What was happening? She wasn’t afraid now, she was as happy as she’d ever been in life. Suddenly, A light , strong shining bright was focused upon her and the surrounding area, her last thought was……Peace……

The ancient grave almost sighed…and kept it’s lonely vigil…proclaiming it’s message to whoever needed guidance….…

If you read this and see your name.

you died a suicide, you died in shame

Before the clock strikes twelve

if your loved ones show,

you’ll be saved, you’ll be taken

You’ll be at peace and you’ll know……

………..Forever…..…Amen…….….

LadyP……©……MMX