In The Dreaming: Chapter Forty Two "Graveyard Encounter" (Fantasy Y/A Novel)

-I wrote the following novel nearly two decades ago. In the years between then and now I've honed my craft, and my perception of this world; my thoughts and ideas; have changed dramatically. However, I still enjoy the premise and have decided to do an overhaul of revisions and rewrites, though likely not until sometime next year. (Though I'm sure I'll do a little as I post chapters)

For now I hope you will enjoy a glimpse into my book writing beginnings...

They are the closest of friends though they have never met in waking life.

Prologue-PT1 Prologue-PT2 Chapter 1

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13

Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16

Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19

Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22

Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25

Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28

Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31

Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34

Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37

Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter Forty Two

Aliyah walked around a bend and found herself standing on the edge of a small cemetery. I wonder who would be buried here, she thought. She walked up to the nearest grave stone. It was so old that the engraved letters were hard to make out. After looking at a few she saw that most of them were from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. She was struck by a sudden odd feeling. The writing on the stone she was looking at was easier to decipher. The name on it was Jebediah Stone and the inscription read: “Oh traveler as you walk by, as you are now, so once was I, as I am now, so you shall be, prepare to die and follow me.”

That’s a creepy thing to have written on your grave stone, she thought. She was just beginning to make out the words on another grave when she caught some colors out of the corner of her eye. She had a direct line of sight from the spot she was standing to the very back of the graveyard, and what she was looking at was more of the same colorful flowers that had drawn her here, but these were planted on someone’s grave . She made her way to it and read the date on the stone. It wasn’t quite as old as some of the others, only about thirty years in fact. It read Martin Bernard Littleton, and the inscription said “With faith we are larger than life itself. Without it we are not worthy of its gift.”

Aliyah nodded in agreement then froze. Someone was coming down the path, she could hear twigs breaking. She darted into the woods and hid, her heart racing, then scolded herself. This is silly, she thought, it’s probably someone curious just like me. Besides it’s public property I have every right to be here. But she couldn’t talk herself into it so she hid and watched.

It was a woman. She had a scarf tied over her head and under her chin. She was carrying a letter and she walked directly to the grave of Martin Bernard. She knelt down and placed the letter against the stone then leaned on it herself and began to sob.

Aliyah estimated she was about 60 years old, around the same age the deceased man would have been had he lived. Maybe it was her husband, poor woman, how awful that she still missed him so badly! How great a love that must have been! She was crouched in an awkward position and tried to shift her weight, but when she brought her foot forward she lost her balance and landed on her backside.

The woman stood, “Who’s there?” She asked fearfully.

Aliyah debated lying there quietly but knew that it would be more like spying.

She walked out of the woods sheepishly. “I’m so sorry, I stumbled on this graveyard, then I heard someone coming and I got scared and hid. I didn’t mean to spy on you.”

The woman looked her over. “You’re just a child.” She looked back at the stone and Aliyah stood there wondering if she should say anything more. The woman started speaking instead.

“Did you read this stone?” she asked.

Aliyah nodded.

“You probably thought that it was a nice inscription, a word to the wise from the wise huh?”

“Yes I did.”

The woman shook her head. “It was no such thing. It was, in fact, the last thing he ever wrote.” Tears began streaming down her face and Aliyah stood by uncertainly.

“He couldn’t find his faith, he had lost it forever and it’s my fault. I let him go, I gave up on him! I loved him fiercely, I loved him so much that it swallowed me whole, but in the end I lost my faith in him, and I think that he wrote that part for me.”

She was quiet then and Aliyah finally worked up the nerve to speak. “Was he your husband?”

The woman turned and looked not at Aliyah, but off to her left. It was as if she were somewhere else talking to someone else. It added to the supernatural sense she’d had when she first started down the path.

“He should have been. He was supposed to be, but he chose the wrong path and couldn’t find his way back. I tried to help, but when I failed I walked away in shame. I should never have done that, I should have tried over and over again!” She cried.

Aliyah felt her eyes filling up. This was a pain she did not ever want to know.

The woman took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be saying these things to you. You’re so young, your life’s ahead of you, bright and full of promise, full of hope.” She looked wistfully at her.

Aliyah found herself putting a hand on the frail shoulder of the woman. To her own amazement she started talking. “I know I’m young and haven’t yet experienced tragedy of any kind. But I am certain that this life does not let you go until you have. This world is filled with suffering, heartbreak, loss, uncertainty. We can be certain of one thing though, we will all die one day. If we know that, then we have to decide why we’re here. Everyone has a different purpose, unfortunately not many ever find out what it is. They go through life blindly and in the end there is only regret."

The woman leaned into her, eyes widening a little as if she were trying to see her better. “You talk as if you’re much older than you look.”

“So I’m told.”

She leaned back and stared at Aliyah for what seemed an eternity. Her shoulders were back and Aliyah was certain she was about to hear “What do you know, you’re just a child.” Then just as quickly the defiance drained out of her and she looked even more frail than before. “Why?” She whispered. “Why are we here?” She was looking somewhere over Aliyah's shoulder, as if waiting for the trees to answer, or the wind.

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