• So wise so young, they say do never live long…
    William Shakespeare




    A dark violet settled over the sky. Rippling black pond water mirrored and distorted the light pink clouds and the small wooden, white bridge crossing over it. The air was icy and filled with the sounds of the light drizzle hydrating the large, deserted park. It didn't make difference how much it rained though. The park was dead. Everything was dead here.

    Sarah's eyes were transfixed upon the depressing scene. She had been seeing it from six to seven everyday for the past three years and she still never got tired of it. Perhaps that was because it was all she had left from her previous life. That is the life when actually still had life within her. You see this scene was the same scene as that of her death.

    Today was the third anniversary of that final sunset in the park. She knew this because she had felt her family's presence over her grave site. That presence had been enough to pump enough life into her to the point where she actually felt the need to breath and she had heard her heart give a single, painful beat. That beat was enough to make her long for her family for a mere second. That second was a dangerous one.

    Sarah's thoughts never strayed back to her home or family these days nor did she ever dream of escaping this fate. She knew the consequences of connecting with the living and would avoid it at any cost so that second brought her dangerously close to her demise. There were only two ways to connect with the living and they were to want it with everything you’ve got while someone was standing on your grave or becoming a guardian and connecting with them while on Earth doing your duties. Both were near impossible for her.

    She normally didn't want to connect with anyone nor did anyone ever come to her grave these days and only a select few were chosen to be guardians. It was considered an honor to be a guardian but it was also one honor she hoped never to receive. For guardians were the ones who had to fight temptation everyday of their after-life. You see as the dead, people in their after-life envy the living and sometimes attempt to steal life back for them selves. It was the guardians' jobs to protect the living from their companions who have unfortunately fallen victim to their own jealousy causing almost constant heartbreak as they had to make their friends and sometimes even some of their own disappear forever.

    This was what Sarah was thinking about tonight. Heartbreak and the pain it caused. She hadn't experienced it since her passing on but after today's breath of life she found that her chest ached. It was obvious that it was a longing but she wasn't sure what it was for. Was she feeling the first bitter sting of jealousy or was she actually homesick? It made her head ach as well every time she tried to sort it out and facing the place where she had lost her life wasn't helping much so she felt it was time to leave once again.

    Heaving a sigh she got up and began to walk down the sidewalk that ran through and around the entire desolate area. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and kept her eyes down upon the passing dead weeds and small pebbles. She had no plans to look around at the bare trees or the playground that had chipped paint and rust on almost every section of it. These small details only seemed to make the place even eerier and dark than it already was. Of course this park was a step up from what the rest of the world looked like.

    The realm that she now existed in had a midday that had light equal to that of Earth's twilight. None of the plants looked as you might think they should and were only in varying shades of purple and a sickening green color. The water was either black or a clouded gray but sometimes you could run across a dark blue lake if you were going through Uri Forest. The grass was always green yet the weeds never were and the flowers were about the size of an average house. The soil was pretty much the same as Earth with only the exception of the Black Desert in the far reaches of the west.

    In the world of death laws of physics and laws in general were so vague that they barely existed in the minds of those under them. The government was based upon wisdom and power and it's officials were a complete secret. They were the ones who kept a close watch on fledglings and guardians and made sure everything was in order. Fledglings were those that lived in the realm who were not guardians. They were considered the lowest class besides ghouls who basically were beings with the intelligence of an animal on Earth that was bound in the form of a human shape.

    As a way to pass time she ran a small reservation for ghouls. They were not as some described them as foul, terrifying creatures. In fact, Sarah found them quite friendly and really they looked like any other Fledgling with the exception of long pointed ears. Their voices weren't very pretty but once she learned to get past that she found them to be very good company. There was one she found to be her favorite that she had named Hal. He had managed to learn to speak English and she often found herself chatting away with him about her everyday problems. In a way he was like her living diary but he was also her best friend.

    She had just been thinking about Hal and all she had to tell him when she saw out of her peripheral vision that someone was walking her way on one of the branches of the walkway. This struck her as odd since there was a curfew on all those new to the world and anyone who was an oldie never came to the park except for her. She stopped walking and just stood there. Why she felt the need to do this she'll never know.

    When the person finally got close enough that she could make out details she realized it was a woman wearing clothing from the French Revolution era. She had obviously been one of the aristocrats of that time for her dress was richly decorated with fake roses and pearls and she wore a beautiful ruby red robe with some lace fringe at the end. Her skin was actually paler than Sarah's if that was possible and her eyes were a stunning crystal blue. She was a little taller than Sarah and her hair was up in a small bun with platinum blonde curls falling off to the sides of her face, framing it's perfect bone structure. In her hand held a single large envelope with a dark red wax seal on it.

    She came to a stop in front of Sarah and gave a small sad smile. "Are you Miss Sarah Barner?" She asked looking down at some scribbled writing on the envelope.

    "I guess that depends on who is asking…" Sarah replied stiffly crossing her arms. She smiled briefly before taking a deep breath.

    "I'm here on behalf of the Guardian Recruitment panel. They would like to invite you into our services." She said handing me the enveloped she had been carrying.

    "You've got the wrong girl then. Try the next street over. I think there is a Sarah over there that owns a nice little boutique…" Sarah replied handing the envelope back to the woman. Then with a shrug she turned to walk away.

    "Sarah, please don't dismiss this offer so quickly. I know today was the anniversary of your death and what happened when your family came to visit. You impressed everyone on the panel with that alone but you're also very respected I hear for your work with the ghouls. The panel believes you would be a perfect candidate for the job and don't you want to protect your family from rogues?" She pleaded gently placing her hand on Sarah's shoulder.

    "I do want to protect my family but that is why I'm turning down the offer. Who do you think will be my target when I turn rogue if I take this job? My family is far better off without me there putting them in constant danger. Besides, I won't put myself in a position where I'll have to make someone I have worked with and come to know disappear forever. I'm sorry, you've got the wrong girl. Please go ask someone else to throw away their heart and soul." Sarah finished darkly before shrugging the woman's hand off and continued to walk away. She heard the woman give a disappointed sigh but she didn't bother to look back. She never did, even when she was alive.