Epilogue: Life After

What took place the next few days was a whirlwind of events, media was all over the mansion as the senator announced the finding of her daughter's remains. Chris,  grandpa and myself were given awards for closing the case. Even my dreams and hallucinations has ceased, yes everything was good, except for my poor broken heart. For the first time ever in my life I felt that I alone, and unattached. Annie has been a part of my life for the most of my life, awake or asleep I knew she was somehow with me, and with her passing it was beyond words. I remember episodes where I found myself staring into distance and tears starts running down. I had multiple sessions with Dr. Ian the consecutive months to cope. Until one day I just woke up and took a step forward in my life.

One year after the case was closed and my countless sessions, I finally mustered the courage to visit her grave. It was a bright summer day, a perfect weather. My heart was pounding in my chest, nervous, excited, my emotions mixed. I felt as if I was meeting her after a very long time. I smiled, I'm sure if she was alive and normal she would have loved the sight of me making a fool of myself just to visit her.  

I placed the flowers on her grave I heard a voice, "you must be Robin", it sounded so familiar that I looked back in disbelief. Standing before me was a lady who looked almost like Annie, I cautiously put my hand at my gun.

"I'm Ariella,  I'm Annie's cousin." the lady said, I nodded still with my hand on my holster.

"You might not believe me but it feels like we met before", she smiled, it was so much the same as Annie, again I nodded. "I see you in my dreams a lot."

"What do you mean?" I finally spoke. Slowly taking my hand away from my gun and paying more attention to what she was saying.

"I just woke up from a coma last year, a little time before Annie was found, and when I woke up your face immediately came into my mind. Somehow, you were the first person I wanted to see." I was silent. It's impossible, could it be that?... No...But after all, nothing is impossible in this world.

"Would you like to have coffee?" I asked,  she smiled at me and said, "Of course. I do believe we have a lot to to talk about."

The End