1927: Redemption

Golden Eyes

“Mourn not the passing of a life well lived, yet celebrate. Count the times your souls smiled together, reached out so invisibly yet tangibly and touched. Death is only the end of a chapter, my friend. And so as this body makes ready to return to the soil, my spirit will watch over you and live in your heart. It will bring sadness as we transform to this new way of connecting, yet this is part of living.”

2016-DECEMBER-FUNERAL

Don't they say that none of us will leave this world alive?

Yet for Adeline's part, she intended to leave the biggest and most beautiful footprint she could. She thought, maybe her Grandpa's would be right next to hers, that it would be together they walked, together they would have left a path to guide future generations.

But, it remained a dream for her, because today was her Grandpa's funeral. The night she found out that her Grandpa was murdered, the night a beast saved her, she did not know what to think, how to react, how to live?

The more she thought about what happened three nights ago, the more she realized that it sort of did make sense.

When she had left to help her friend Nina at the bar, she could not help but feel like something would go wrong, like there was this massive cloud of depression hovering over her house when she left.

After getting saved by the beast, Adeline was admitted to hospital for two days and today she was discharged as the security drove her to her neighbor's house. She swallowed hard, slouching backwards in her seat, feeling the color draining from her face while looking at the forest. The pictures of that night started flashing in front of her eyes, her breathing became ragged, "Miss Martinez, are you feeling alright?" An officer asked.

It broke the chain of her thoughts as she nodded her head at him in affirmation, realizing that she was currently under the protection of police as they had been investigating the case.

All she really wanted to do was go home, curl up underneath the covers of her bed, and pretend like this day had never happened. That was wishful thinking, though, because she knew it was entirely impossible.

James Martinez's funeral was going to be held at 7:00 this evening at St. Patrick's Cathedral downtown, the place where James always went with his granddaughter, on her every birthday or any special occasion.

What Adeline really wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs and kick things and not go to his funeral, but that really would not get her anywhere. She didn't even know what to feel anymore, who to call family, but there was some part of her that just felt like she needed to go to his funeral, it felt like something important was waiting for her.

Her neighbor, Mrs. Michaela Harriet, was sitting at the room table with her hands folded tightly together in front of her, when Adeline walked through the front door with security at her trail.

Her slightly graying dark hair was pulled back into an elegant twist, like always, and she was wearing one of her perfect dresses that she always wore to work. Since, going to her house was prohibited, Michaela brought Adeline's clothes to her house as Adeline was way afraid to look at that house again, which she called home for seventeen years of her life.

Michaela was Adeline's immediate neighbor, also her late mother's friend. She took care of Adeline whenever James asked for it, and she knew that Adeline needed her today more than ever.

Adeline did not know where she was going as she just followed her security's words, when she looked at Michaela, "Michaela?" She said in surprise.

Michaela was on her feet as soon as she heard Adeline's voice, "Oh god, Adeline, how are you doing, sweetie?" She asked, walking towards her.

Her heart sunk in her chest and landed somewhere around her kneecaps.

"I-I.." Adeline stuttered, her face was void of any emotions, but as soon as Michaela engulfed her in an embrace, tears started pouring down from her eyes.

"Shh….Sh... It's okay, calm down." Michaela steadied Adeline's figure as she kept sobbing in Michaela's arms.

Pulling away, Adeline trudged backwards, as she kept saying, "He….he…. is dead. Jammy is dead, Michaela, they killed him."

The world started spinning for her as she kept chanting those words, the truth that she was indeed alone in this world got a hold on her brain and she was not able to wrap her mind around everything.

"Adeline, Adeline!" Yelled Michaela, when Adeline blacked out and was about to hit the floor.

Before her body could hit the floor, one of the guards from Adeline's security moved fast, very fast for a normal human being and caught Adeline's unconscious figure.

He had a muscular build, had a mask on his face, without looking at Michaela, he asked, "Where?"

His voice was rough and hoarse, and it didn't leave any note for discussion. She pointed toward the door and before she could ask more, he already left.

Michaela was about to follow him, a deputy called her "Mrs. Harriet?"

Turning around, "Yes, that's me, what happened?" She asked.

"We have some questions regarding Miss Martinez and her grandfather James Martinez, will you be okay answering the questions?" The officer asked.

Nodding, "Yes." Said Michaela, after glancing at the door where the guard escorted Adeline, Michaela left to answer the deputy's questions.

The guard laid Adeline carefully on the bed, he tucked her in with a duvet. Before he could move away, Adeline held his hand, murmuring, "Please….. don't leave me…." Tears streaming down her half closed eyelids.

It was already tough for him to be with her right now, looking at her in this condition was like someone was breaking his bones again and again without mercy. He didn't know the connection between them, didn't know why was he endangering his life for some unknown girl, didn't know why he saved her at that night, didn't know why her heart beat resonated with his own, but the one thing he did know was, she was somehow his key to escape, to go back.

Reluctantly, he sat on her side and wiped her tears. She leaned in his touch as it immediately calmed her, opening her eyes, she saw golden eyes looking at her curiously, she was still not completely conscious, mumbling, "It's…

It's you…."

He knew she was talking about him, before he could say something, he heard a platter of feet from outside, leaning down, he said, "Rest." And he leaped out of the window, as Michaela entered the room.

Smiling sadly, Michaela closed the windows, turned on the heater and left the room, so that Adeline could rest.

Sleep did come to Adeline but it was full of blood, dead bodies and……. golden eyes.

Will Adeline would ever be able to get out of this trauma?

Who was this guard?

Why did he think she was his key to escape?