Chapter 15 - The Unbroken Ground
The cemetery was quiet, sitting on a gentle hill overlooking the misty valley of Blackwood Creek. The grass was green, wet with morning dew, sparkling like diamonds under the clear blue sky.
Ryan walked up the small stone path, holding a fresh bouquet of white daisies—Lily’s favorite flower.
He stopped beside a simple granite headstone set into the soft earth:
LILY VANCE
2017 – 2024
BELOVED DAUGHTER AND SISTER
"SAFE IN THE LIGHT"
Ryan knelt on the wet grass beside the headstone. He placed the white daisies softly against the stone, his fingers gently brushing over the carved letters of her name.
There was no sound from beneath the earth. No whispers, no scratching, no cold hands reaching through the dark. The soil was silent, resting peacefully under the autumn sun.
Ryan sat on the grass for a long time, watching the morning clouds drift slowly across the wide blue sky.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small yellow toy car—a replica of the one Lily used to play with in the garden—and placed it gently beside the flowers.
May you like
"I'm here, baby," Ryan whispered softly, a quiet, peaceful smile gracing his lips. "I'll always be here."
A gentle breeze swept over the hill, rustling the golden leaves of the oak trees above, carrying the soft, clean scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers out over the valley, leaving behind only the quiet, unbroken promise of the light.
