Into the Future

         

       As I looked about the cemetery now, I started at the edge of the line of cedar trees along the south side of the drive. Everything south of this side of the drive was more recent graves, starting from the early nineteen hundreds and on. At the time of the newborn's funeral back in 1873 the southeast corner would have been just down the hill near the current fence line.

              I had assisted Clara with her hand in the crook of my arm as I carried the coffin to the open grave and with Clara's brother Walker’s assistance, placed the child in her final resting place. I had consciously tried to recall the lay of the land so that I could find it when I returned from the warp. It was out in the open part of the cemetery and not under the trees but the line of cedars was easily seen from the grave.

        The sun was shining bright and I didn’t think I should have any trouble finding the stone if it existed because the gems and pyrite would be sparkling on a day like today. I went all the way to the fence line and then turned to let my eyes scan the area. Nothing. I supposed that possibly it was never made. I had felt confident, though as Walker took the sacks of stones and placed them into the saddlebags of his horse that his intentions were to get it done.

          There was a simple white stone that caught my eye because it was broken off at the base and was lying on its side along its edge.  I headed over to investigate what was holding it propped up. When I lifted it I found that what it had been propped against was the headstone of Fairy June McFall.

       Fairy’s stone was about eighteen inches tall and a wedge shape with a thicker base. It was seated on a concrete slab. It had the exact style that Clara had asked of her brother. The entire stone sparkled now and the gems were just beautiful in the sunlight. The edge of the right corner of the monument had been sheared off slightly by the other headstone leaning against it for so long. I decided to lay the limestone monument on the ground. Fairy’s stone was already broken and I didn’t want it to cause any more damage by leaning it against it again. As I let the slab drop I saw the face of the stone.

       “Oh shit!” I whispered.

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