• Oh god...she couldn't believe it...really, honestly couldn't believe it. The complete denial she was experiencing had to be record breaking. It hurt so much...so, so much. And worse, it was all her fault.

    Gabriella stood among the masses of people. She told herself she had to be strong, but it was hard. really hard. Thank goodness they had closed caskets, but that still didn't hide the fact it was them lying there. Because she knew it was. Looking up from her thought, she glanced around at the other people standing with her. Her husbands parents...his sister...her own sister, who had been late for the flight...she also saw several of his friends, but only a few of her friends... their family friends...all crying, all so, so sad. She had to look down again to hide the fact tears were once again falling down her cheeks.

    So you want to know who they're mourning for? Well, just about everyone that was important to 21-year old Gabby Ryan. Her father, her new husband, some of her very best friends, the list of names would hurt too much. Why were they in caskets, lying before poor Gabby in a graveyard, only a week after her own birthday? It was her fault. Or at least in her mind it was, although some would attempt to comfort her out of that thought. A surprise birthday party had been planned by her loved ones, her 21st. Gabby was away in another state for school, so her family had to take an airplane to her to hold the party. The chances were so, so low, but it had happened anyway. There was a plane crash because of some sort of mechanical error. Gabby didn't want to know the details, but it didn't need to be said that she spent her birthday crippled in sadness. She had begun to recover, but barely.

    Pulling herself from her thought, Gabby looked back at the caskets. They had opted for a funeral for everybody, so they didn't have to attend multiple funerals, that would just hurt too much. As the person who was saying their eulogy finished talking, Gabby had to get out of there. Sure, she knew she would probably regret it later, but she had to leave. She turned around and lightly pushed her way out of the group of people. When she emerged, she sobbed out heavily. She began to walk away towards a large tree, quickly, but steadily got faster until she broke out into an awkward run. She felt like she looked ridiculous in her completely black dress and black strappy high shoes, but she honestly did not care. When she got to the tree, she slid down the tree until she was sitting down, back against the tree.

    She dropped her head, twiddling her thumbs quite literally, and she felt herself sob again. She wanted to be able to cry and snot without being judged as being inappropriate. Just let go. What did crying solve, though? Nothing. But it kind of relieved the pain. She felt her head jerk back up, staring completely forward, because she felt someone, something looking at her. Standing in front of her was a man dressed completely in black. Well, probably a man. He was young, but still had an air of maturity around him. He was looking at the group of people she had just left for a couple seconds as Gabby stared blankly at him. Probably sensing the stare, he turned his head to look at her. She quickly, yet attempting to be stealthy, wiped her eyes and nose with her long dress sleeve. He looked sad, kind of listless. He seemed to be debating something, but then, without a word, he walked over to her.

    He conjured a handkerchief from his pocket and knelt down. He gently wiped her cheeks with the handkerchief, which she could now see had some light-looking roses on it, and then opened her hand and put the small piece of cloth in it. Without a word, he gave a comforting smile, stood up, and walked away. Gabby didn't know why exactly, but she kind of felt like everything would be okay. She opened up her hand and had to gasp aloud when she saw the initials on the handkerchief...G.R? Wha? How was that even possible? Deciding to just not question it and accept him as some sort of guardian angel, she wiped her eyes again and smiled. Deciding she just had to forget the pain but remember to memories, she stood up, resolving that somehow the pain had disappeared. Not completely, of course, but it felt like a monumental weight had been lifted from her chest.