We stopped at a flower shop, we got a bouquet of white roses and purple lilies that she loves, and made our way to the cemetery. There was a hill we had to drive up to and I waited for Wyatt as he took out a few things from the car. We didn’t have to take long to look around to find her headstone and Wyatt went straight away to clean up. He used scissors he brought with him to cut the grass that’s outgrown and  there was a small water faucet not far from where we parked so with the bucket he brought he filled it with water. It was nice of him always helping me clean her spot when we visited and once it was all nice and cleaned I laid the flower down. 

“Hi, Mom,” I said as I brushed my fingers across her headstone, tracing her name, and took a deep breath. “Wyatt is here with me, like always, and we brought you your favorite flowers. Daisies.”

Wyatt moved to stand beside me and stayed quiet letting me have my moment.

“I’ve missed you so much this year,” I said, trying to hold in my tears. “But I know that you're always with me and watching over me. Everything will be fine.”

Wyatt placed his arm over my shoulder to pull me into a hug and he let out a small sigh, “Happy Birthday.” He whispers.

I smiled and hugged him tightly before pulling away to take one last look at her headstone. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“You know I would always come… It’s been years that I’ve been joining you.” He replied.

I was gazing over her stone before noticing a dark figure standing at a distance and I couldn’t see a face. I tried not to react as we stared at each other before it turned and started walking away. I shouldn’t be surprised that I would see a spirit here at the cemetery but I felt like it was only here to see me and a part of me wished that it was mom. The only problem is that Mom has not once come to visit me since her passing and I didn’t want to believe that she would choose to see me for the first time on my birthday; on the date that she died. I took a step to see where it was gone when it disappeared and a sense of sadness flowed over me. 

I can hear Wyatt calling my name as this dreaded feeling had me continue walking and I noticed that I was walking towards the edge of the cemetery that was near the forest. I hate living in this town and the haunted trees that surround us. For a second I couldn’t see what was drawing me in when I found it and it was the darkest creature I’ve ever seen. It was dripped in a dark cloak that was so old that it seemed like it’s been worn for years that the ends were tearing apart and had a hood that covered it’s face, but I’ve seen it before. I fell to my feet as it was giving out on me as fear rose up towards my chest and I tried to find the words to make it go away.

“Please, we haven’t done anything,” I began to say and my words came out trembling. “I only came to see my mother.”

It said nothing. Does Death speak?

“Embry, what's wrong?” Wyatt asked as he came to my side.

I quickly turned to him and covered his eyes, “Don’t look at it.”

“What are you talking about?” He was confused and tried to remove my hands so he could look.

“Just don’t look!” I said when he finally pushed my hand away and he looked past me. 

He was confused for a second before glancing at me, “There’s nothing there.”

I looked back and like he said there was nothing but the trees. “It’s gone,” I mumbled.

“What did you see?” He asked as he walked over to the empty spot and I looked over his shoulder to make sure that we were still alone.

“I’m not gonna say it,” I whispered. I can feel my hands trembling and I reached out to hold his hands to calm down. “Let’s go.”

“But your mom?” Wyatt asked me when I began pulling him back towards his car.

“It’s okay… I'd rather come back another day,” I said, letting go of him once we were standing by the car and I told myself to not look around. “I want to get ready for my birthday party.”

“Okay,”  He mumbles as he glances back before getting inside the car after unlocking it and we start driving out of the cemetery.