The air is crisp and gray. The mob of black gathers around the rectangular box. The pastor has already spoken. It’s silent. I don’t know if I have heard this much of nothing. Rainey’s Dad goes to the dirt pile and takes a handful and drops it on the wood. It’s Rainey’s turn. I had to nudge her to remind her. She was staring at the rectangle. But, I think she was looking inside. Inside of the coven. God I hate that word. I think she was trying to hold on as long as possible. She walked over, picked up the soil, she looked like she had arthritis releasing the soil to the ground, her hand was shaking, it opened like it had been frozen.

Watching her come back, she had no emotion. Her face was pale with her eyes looking out for something to signal to her that this was a dream.

She stands in the front row, I in the second, right behind her. The coven lowers with the closing prayer. Her dad comes over, but soon walks by after they talk.

She sits in front of the grave.
“Why did this happen to her?”