Secret Martyrdom
Chapter 22
That day, after the funeral, things were feeling worse.
Poor Sally had the hard time of explaining to Benjamin what had happened to Anastasia.
“Heaban?” He said curiously.
“It’s ‘heaven’, Benjamin.” Benny Bear corrected.
“Dat’s where my grandma went before I died.” Said Benjamin.
“Well, that’s where god takes people if they’re very ill. He can look after them there.” Sally Explained.
“So has god got to look after Annie now?” Benjamin asked.
“Yes.”
“Will I ever see her again?” Benjamin questioned again.
“Well, you can come with me if you like, Benjamin. I’m going to somewhere where everyone’s making something called a shrine to remember Annie by.” Said Sally.
“Why do we have to make a swine?” Said Benjamin, mixing up his words. “I’ll always remember Annie. And everyone else will too, won’t they Sally? Sally?”
Sally was gazing through the window, distracted by the whether.
“Hey! It’s snowing!” Cried Benjamin. “Can I please go out in the snow, Sally?” Benjamin asked politely.
“I’ll tell you what, you can come with me to the shrine.”
“And play with snow?”
“Of course.”
“Yey! A swine and some snow!” Benjamin cheered.
“It’s shrine, Benjamin.” Benny Bear corrected yet another of Benjamin’s speaking mistakes. “Swine is a pig. And is also a very offensive term for insulting someone. So lets just forget about it.”
Benny Beat and Benjamin walked with Sally and she guided them out of the house and into the streets of Halloween Town.
Meanwhile, Emma was already at the shrine, outside the crypt doors.
She was obviously mourning for Anastasia’s death.
But then, she heard a sound.
“Hi, Emma.” Called Benjamin as he came onto he scene with Benny Bear and Sally
Emma didn’t speak, but she gently waved.
“Emma, if there’s snow fawing from the sky, why isn’t there snow in the gwound?”
“That’s because it’s not settled yet.” Benny Bear began to explain. He took Benjamin up to the crypt as he explained about snow to Benjamin.
Emma was looking down to a gathered bunch of dark purple roses that she held in her hand.
She walked over to the steps of the crypt and placed them down next to the left door.
Sally saw that she was uncomfortable and upset and alone.
She walked to her side and placed her arm round her shoulder.
Emma looked up to her. And then she threw her arms around her and cried uncontrollably…
…
That day, more and more citizens of the town came and to pay tribute to Anastasia. More flowers were arranged on the steps. Candles were lit. Notes and letters were written and placed outside the crypt.
I knew that everyone in the town would miss Anastasia Rose.
But there was someone who I never expected to feel in anyway the same way.
That night, after dark, Shock awoke from her shack-made bed, (it had been made from the wreckage of the tree house).
She crept over all the debris and managed to escape without waking Lock or Barrel.
In her pyjamas, she hurried off to the cemetery.
I would never have known if she hadn’t of later told me, but when no-one was looking she crept off to the crypt that held Anastasia Rose.
Shock knelled in front of the steps and sighed.
She was carrying a rolled up piece of paper in her hand.
Shock then unrolled it and gazed at what was on it.
It was a note, a note with one word written on it…sorry.
Shock gazed up at the doors to the crypt.
“I knew this would happen.” She whispered.
Shock then looked down in sorrow and threw the piece of paper into the other things that other people had laid down.
She then got back up to her feet.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
Shock stated running back to the broken tree house, trying to get there before Lock and Barrel ever knew she was gone.
I know to many of you readers, this all seems strange of Shock to do something like that. But there’s no telling what will happen to you if you put back a child’s heart. Exactly what had happened to Shock…you’ll have to find out as the story goes along.
Meanwhile, I myself was having a hard time.
I was in my tower, waiting for Sally to come back after taking Benjamin back to the Doctor’s house.
I didn’t like being alone, not at a time like this.
I leaned against the window, gazing out at the cemetery where, somewhere out there, Anastasia Rose now rest in peace.
But nothing seemed peaceful at all. Everything seemed to be falling apart.
I though about that child. I thought about what she was like before all this happened.
I then looked away from the window and to my right.
I saw a crimpled up piece of paper on my bedside table. I knew exactly what it was.
Slowly, I held out my hand and took hold of the creased white.
I held the blank side to me face and gazed, and then I turned it over.
It was a sketching of a rose, and signed at the bottom were the words…
…‘A gift for his majesty. Anastasia Rose.’
It was the first drawing Anastasia ever draw in this town, and it was for me.
I held it tight. And for the first time since Annie’s death, I started to cry.
That night, Sally fell asleep before me.
I couldn’t quite get to sleep. And if I was restless, I wondered what on earth Emma would have been like at that time.
But I did finally close my eyes for the final time before drifting off.
However, little did I know that I wasn’t alone that night. Apart from myself and Sally, there was someone else creeping my way.
The front door of my house creaked open, and someone entered.
Step by step, they climbed up the spiral staircase and wandered into my room.
Their shadow from the moonlight in the open window hovered over where I lay.
I tossed and turned in my sleep…
…as the shadow of a ghost child entered my dream…
