Chapter VIII

There was sunlight.

Sun shone and birds twittered in the surrounding trees.

Fluffy white clouds rolled across the bright blue sky.

It was late spring, and all of nature seemed to be welcoming summer in an open embrace.

Children played in the parks, went swimmimg, and ate ice cream.

All was happy.

Except for one group of people.

A group of people standing in the middle of a cemetery, watching as a coffin was lowered into the ground.

Well, at first glance they would seem upset. But if one looked at their reactions closely, you could tell instantly that they weren't.

The only person truly upset on such a beautiful day, at such a sad occasion, was the one standing off to the side, dressed all in white.

Silent tears rolled down is face, making his cheeks glisten in the light.

The reason why he was so upset was that the person being buried was his lover.

In his hand, he held a locket.

His fingers played with the chain until it became tangled, and then they worked to untangle it.

This locket was the last thing that his lover had given to him.

As he lay dying, he had taken his hands and shoved the locket into them, telling him to always keep it close to his heart.

That way, they would always be together.

As this young mam, dressed all in white at a funeral, remembered this, he let out a choked sob.

No one came over to comfort him.

No one cared about the death of this wonderful person but him.

---<<---<<--->>--->>---

I woke with a start.

My housemate was looking down at me with a worried expression on his face.

"Hey, are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare. You were crying in your sleep."

...

I was... crying?

I reached my hand up to my face and felt the wetness there.

Oh..

Why had I been crying?

The only reason I could think of for me crying in my sleep was if I had been dreaming about him.

"Did I... say anything?" I asked Jake.

He didn't reply for a while.

It looked as if he were debating whether or not to tell me.

Finally, he answered.

"You were mumbling into the pillow so i couldn't make most of it out, but... I think you said something along the lines of 'Why? Why is it so sunny? It should be raining! ...Why does it have to be sunny?'"

I stared at him for a few seconds before my eyes grew wet and my throat started hurting.

"Hey, hey! Why are you crying?"

Those were the words I had said on the day that he....

On the day we lay him to rest.

I would never forget them.

For the first few years after he died, I had had the same dream over and over.

Eventually I stopped having them, but I never forgot.

Why did they come back now?

Was it because I saw someone who looked so much like him?

Someone with the same honey eyes, the same sandy hair, the same everything.

Was he the reason?

Why?

Could it be... that... he had finally come back to me?

No.

That was impossible.

I was probably just projecting what I wanted to be true onto some random guy I hadn't even probably met.

But, just in case...

I should get closer to him, if I can.