A Glimmer of Hope

[Zoey Annetta Anderson]

Zoey wandered up and down the graves thinking about the person she wanted to find. She already knew that they wouldn't be here, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be certain. She read every name that was on every headstone, but none of them said the name that she wanted to see most.

Then again, what did she actually expect? Did she expect the grave to have magically appeared overnight from across the world? Did she think that everything would be better if she found the name? Nothing would change. It was too late to seek revenge. After all, what could she do to a dead man?

Just as Zoey turned to leave, a small movement caught her eye. She quickly turned to look at it, but it had disappeared. Shaking her head, she turned, but saw the movement again. This time, she moved her whole body, but still found nothing.

"Nerves," she muttered with a firm resolution to not be tricked again. However, when the movement came again, she couldn't help but look at it. Then, when she was certain that it was nothing again, she saw it. The thing that was distracting her was a butterfly. A simple butterfly.

Zoey was angry with herself for stopping for something that was as insignificant as a simple butterfly, but she couldn't help but feel thankful for the little thing. Almost childishly, Zoey crept up on the thing. She successfully caught it and whispered her darkest secret to it. Then she let it go. Zoey instantly felt like a thousand pound weight was lifted off of her shoulders. It was almost as if the bug not only took away her secret, but brought her hope.

Zoey decided that it would be a good thing to turn around before somebody caught her, and that she should share this experience with no one. Only the butterfly would know her secret.

[Nicolae Javier Shadows]

Nicolae walked alone through the woods, the only sound being the snap of twigs under his feet. He was headed towards the graveyard, where he went anytime he wanted silence. It was his habit, as no one really went to the graveyard much. It was a depressing place, even though well kept, and the people of Day didn't care much for depressing. So the graveyard had become Nic's place to think. He played with the light around him as he walked, bending it around him to make the path he had walked glow as he walked. He loved practicing his element, as well.

But there was another reason Nic came to the graveyard. His little brother's grave wasn't here, but it was the closest Nic could get to his grave. His brother was dead, and Nic had never visited him as he had promised. His brother was dead and Nic would never see him again. Nic didn't know where his grave was, did not even know if he had a grave. According to Melanie, that grave could be nonexistent. So Nic came to this graveyard to pretend that he was visiting his brother's grave. It wasn't enough, he knew, but it was the closest he could ever get.

Nic stopped at the edge of the woods, right before the graveyard. There was a girl there, whispering to something in her cupped hands. She finished and opened her hands up, setting a butterfly free. Nic smiled at the image of the butterfly floating away from the girl, leaning against a nearby tree as he watched. It was sights like these that gave Nic hope in the future.

[Zoey Annetta Anderson]

Zoey turned around and was startled to see that a person was leaning against a tree just watching her. She quickly ducked behind the nearest grave hoping that he didn't see too much. She brushed away a few leaves so that it seemed like she was doing something meaningful, even though it was just an excuse.

As she finished brushing away the leaves, she saw a name poke out at her. She read it carefully, memorizing it, just in case the stranger asked her who she was visiting. Zoey winced a little realizing that she really didn't come to visit anyone. She really did it for the company. Wow, she thought. That's kinda sad. Going to dead people for company.

Zoey stood up and braced herself for the converstation that was sure to come from the man. She wiped her hands on her pants and stepped away from the grave, looking at it just to make the man think that she really was visiting it.