'I Know What A Graveyard Is'

Two months later

My face suddenly grew hot, so I opened my eyes slowly to see what had created the heat. It was the rays of the morning sun streaming into my room at mom's house. I grunted and regretted not pulling the curtains close.

My phone beeped from my dresser where I had left it the previous night after seeing a movie with mom and Philip.

Well, it's been months after my sister's cruel demise and I guess I recovered from the initial shock. But I missed her badly, I missed how she would tease me and pinch my cheeks like I was a baby, I still missed the tiny arguments we had all the time.

It still felt like a terrible dream, but I knew I wouldn't be waking up any sooner because it was reality, and reality hurts.

Deciding to embrace the day with open arms, I left my bed and went to the bathroom to take care of my hygiene.

Before I left my room, I checked the clock again.

7:33 a.m.

I hurried out of the room and headed to the living room downstairs where I met some familiar faces smiling at me. I managed to return their smiles at the same time wondering how they arrived here so early.

"How's it going girl?" Tanya asked and shifted in her seat.

I shrugged and sat in an empty sofa next to Sebastian who didn't seem to care. Instead, he turned to me with a soft stare.

"How was your sleep?"

"It was more better."

He nodded and shifted his attention to my mom who just entered the living room.

She was dressed in a simple black flowing gown with three flowers engraved on the front. Although, she looked older - mainly because of her daughter's death - she appeared more vibrant than other days..

"Hi Amanda." Tanya and Sebastian chorused.

Mom smiled and hugged Tanya who was already standing. "How are the both of you doing?"

"We're cool." Seb replied.

Mom moved to hug him. I sat in my seat and watched how Sebastian's arms dangled limply at his sides.

Mom sat beside me and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. I snuggled into her and breathed in the fragrance of her body spray.

"What are you young people up to?"

Tanya brushed her cheek with a finger and turned to Sebastian who purposely avoided her gaze.

"Well..." She began when Seb stubbornly kept his mouth shut. But he returned his gaze to her when she spoke up.

"We intended taking Florence somewhere." Tanya gave Seb a scorching glare.

"You don't need to seek my permission, go ahead."

With a frown, I looked up at mom who had a knowing smile on her face. "Don't look at me like that, you certainly need an outing."

After several encouraging speeches, I agreed to go out with Tanya and Sebastian.

The afternoon found me at a mall together with them. According to them, I needed to let loose for a day.

Even though I didn't like the idea. I tagged along and scanned a few items before putting them in the trolley. Even though people in the mall recognized me as Philip's girlfriend and started taking random shots of me, I remained unfazed.

"So, Florence, where do you want to go next?" Tanya demanded as Sebastian hauled the items we purchased to his car.

"I just want to go somewhere quiet?"

Tanya regarded me carefully through brown eyes and was about saying something before Seb spoke up.

"Like the park?"

I shook my head in disapproval.

"The park's noisy on weekdays, that's a no."

Sebastian pursed his lips and said nothing else. I could see how genuinely he wanted to help and how frustrated he was getting because I wasn't responsive. He made a lot of jokes and even if they were quite funny, I didn't laugh, but Tanya did. She only stopped when she discovered that I wasn't interested in whatever he said.

I took a deep breath. "Guys, I think what I need is some space."

Sebastian and Tanya exchanged bewildered looks.

"We're only trying to help." Tanya said, placing an arm around my shoulder.

I shrugged it off and moved away from them. "I don't think I need anyone's help. If I'm going to recover from the fact that my sister's gone forever, I'm doing it my way, my way!" I spoke vehemently.

Although, my heart sank at the way sadness took over their faces, I took a few steps away from them and towards the roadside.

I boarded a taxi and headed to the only place I could think of, the cemetery where my sister was laid to rest.

The cemetery was as quiet as usual and it was just the calm I wanted, without any living soul meddling. As I started walking amongst the numerous tombstones, my eyes wandered to the most prominent tombstone. It rose a couple of feet above the others. According to a stranger who stood next to me during Tamara's burial, it belonged to the founder of the cemetery, Sarah Trell, who died about fifteen years ago in old age.

I got to my sister's grave and knelt solemnly beside it while fighting against the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes as I stared at the words engraved on the tombstone.

Tamara Shade

Rest in Perfect Peace.

My eyes hovered above the words for a brief second and with a sigh, they fell to the bare earth beneath me.

"Hey Tam, I know you can hear me from where ever you are. I miss you so much sister. If you were here you'll see how badly everyone took your death, mom, Alice, Tanya, Philip, Sebastian and me. Well Sebastian had known you for a few months before you died, but your absence has left him devastated. I was an a**hole to him today, but I'll apologize to him later."

"I have no body to call me 'baby sister' anymore, neither do I have someone to struggle over my mirror with. Each sunrise reminds me of your smile every morning." I wiped away the tears now liberated from my tear ducts.

"I love you, Tamara, I always will. I'll make sure I find your killer, I promise you."

My legs started to go numb underneath me so I sat on the bare earth beside the tombstone and used it to support my head.

"I love you sis." I whispered as my eyelids closed gently.

...

When I reopened my eyes, I met pure darkness. But I could make out the outline of the clouds which were slowly becoming obscure. I felt around my pockets for my phone and rejoiced when I extracted the metallic device and turned on the display.

8:30p.m

How long had I slept? I could remember the exact time I arrived here, it was just a few minutes past five. How did I manage to sleep for over two hours without stirring? I asked myself these questions as I meandered through the tombstones towards the entrance.

A few voices caught my attention and I snapped my head on the direction they came from. I wondered who could possibly be hanging out in a cemetery of all places.

Curiosity pulled me in the direction of the voices which were quite louder with each shaky step I took.

"I can't believe our plans fell into place." A male voice spoke.

"They didn't even suspect a thing, that made it more easier." The female voice was a few notches lower than normal.

"Should we proceed with the next stage of our plan?"

I hid behind the closest tree I saw and peeked out through the side, hoping to get a clear view of the speakers.

From the way their voices edged closer, I believed they were walking.

"I say we wait a few days before we do anything." The female replied.

The voices were too familiar.

"No! I need vengeance."

If there's anyone that needs vengeance, it's my dead sister.

"Haven't you wrought enough havoc? Look, her family is in an emotional disaster because of what you did. Look at Florence..."

At the mention of my name, my brain rapidly processed who was speaking, Alice.

"Don't mention her name, I don't want to be reminded of how my brother stole her heart from me. I'll make sure they all pay, including that idiot I once called my brother."

Peter.

My heart fell as realization dawned on me. Alice has been in collaboration with Peter all this while. What I found harder to believe was that she plotted the death of my sister with him. What a conniving snake she was. How could she be my friend in daylight and be my worst nightmare at night? How could she laugh along with my sister she still be the one to carefully plan her death with Peter who basically lost the use of his heart, in fact, he had no heart anymore, in theory though.

I discretely opened the voice recorder on my phone and listened to their next discussion.

"He's still your brother, our brother."

"Shut the f*ck up!" Peter yelled.

"I'm sorry. What do you want me to do?"

"I want her mother dead."

I gasped as my thoughts sped to my mother. I had to get to her as soon as possible. I couldn't risk anyone dying again. I'll deal with Alice later.

As I tried to extricate myself from the tree, I stepped on a twig on the floor. I cringed as a crunchy sound escaped.

"Who's there?" Peter growled.

"There's no one, Pete, it's just the ghosts doing their thing."

I nearly snickered at Alice's speech, but I was too occupied with planning how to escape the cemetery.

"What ghosts?" Peter's voice wavered.

I smiled as I remembered Sebastian. How could I forget how scared he was the last time he took me out to someplace. I remembered how he drove off like the entire population of hell was after him.

"Ghosts of course, what do you expect? This is a graveyard, where dead people are..."

"I know what a graveyard is. Let's get out of here."

I took a sharp intake of relieved breath as their voices became more distant. That was when I made my exit from the cemetery without awakening the security guards who were sleeping.

As I flagged a lone taxi, I dialed Philip's number on my phone and waited until he answered my call.

I mumbled my destination to the elderly driver and shut the door beside me.

"Hi babe." His voice was a few notches higher than usual and I noticed there were loud noises in the background.

"I need to see you, it's urgent."

"Did anything happen?"

"No, but something will if you don't come over as fast as possible."

"Give me ten minutes. I'll be at your mom's house."

"I love you."

"I love you more." Philip replied and hung up.

As the car moved rapidly, I remembered mom's words earlier.

"Don't look at me like that, you certainly need an outing."

I certainly needed the outing.

A lot of readers would be inwardly cursing Alice and Peter for what they did. Well, life itself is filled with a lot of unpleasant twists, betrayals, hatred, jealousy and murder.

It's hard to believe, but Alice had been working with Peter since he disappeared.

I hope you like this chapter.

Dedicated to AgathaRoza, Candice_Is_Crazy,SofijaKrutikova3,remahN IiraSagaseriously_dontaie,THE_X-PHILER Saki_Cupcake,therainbowgirl1432,marcostakimura,violetblueradio,Luminescence78,suschireis,Trust_No_One_But_Me,followingmahdreams,hernakedface,ragnie,user94314404,ZeLdAfInCh,blackkgoddesskia,Angela00055.

I love you all, seriously, thank you so much!