Today was the day of the funeral. I stood before the sign that welcomed any here to honor my grandmother.
[Our Forever Love]
[Mina Renat]
[XXXX - 2025]
Even in death she kept her birth year hidden. I couldn't help but chuckle at that. This was probably her final prank on anyone who was close to her.
Grasping the pocket watch tightly in my dress pants pocket, I built up the courage before entering the room where the wake would be held. In the forefront of the room laid the coffin which held my grandmother's body. We opted out of cremating her.
I stood in the back of the room awkwardly while faces familiar and unknown trickled in. The room had filled up completely and the wake had begun. Countless men and women were dressed formally while sitting in silence. The funeral director was speaking about something before my mother was called up to give a speech, then her husband, then my sister, and finally my older brother.
I let my mind wander elsewhere as random strangers began their speeches of good times they had with my grandmother. I would have kept it that way if my name hadn't been called.
"Amaris… would you like to go up and say anything?" My half-sister asked.
I contemplated while staring into the ceiling before turning back to her. I didn't get much closure from my grandmother before she passed. When I went to visit her, she had been out of it, she had been dying.
Gazing into her hazel eyes, I nodded. My mind ran through so many ideas before settling on the best one.
Speak from the heart, my head told me. My heart accepted the job while my soul supplemented the passion. The trinity worked together to provide me something I hated: emotions.
I stood at the podium where I would give my speech and laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh or a humor filled reaction. No. This was a bitter laugh. One I hadn't expected from myself.
"The one thing I can say about my grandmother, Mina Renat is…" I paused. I was looking for the right word. "She was a strong woman."
I noticed how my mother and her husband reacted. While my grandmother was the person I considered my closest relative, my history with her was rocky. They probably expected me to say something cold hearted. It was in character for me. I just couldn't find any energy in me to hate someone who was six feet under.
I don't blame them for thinking that, though.
"She was the strongest woman I knew." I said.
I didn't say another word and made my way to stand beside her coffin. I would leave this watch with her and then go back home. It was better in her hands, cold or warm.
I didn't deserve it.
I didn't get to reach into my pocket though. I didn't even get to stand in front of her coffin. No, not when three bullets rained through my body.
I could feel the pain from each bullet wound. In my throat, in the side of my chest, and in my right leg.
With the strength I had left, I looked up to see my older half-brother holding a gun. His hands were shaking and the gun seemed like it would fall out of his-
'Oh there it goes.' I thought absent-mindedly.
He was restrained by his own father before my mother rushed over to me crying. She was shedding tears. Tears of sadness. I wanted to ask her why.
'What had changed? Why care now?' I wanted to say but the words just wouldn't come out.
"Just hold on, we'll get an ambulance here!" She cried out, but even then I doubt it would matter.
I went to reach for her face but my limbs wouldn't respond. It felt so hard to breathe. It felt so hard to live. Why was I still trying? Everything felt so warm.
'I'll just rest my eyes a bit…' I thought tiredly.
Silence. I closed my eyes and everything after had become silent. It was like I was embraced in a warm blanket while floating endlessly in a pitch black void.
The sound of fabric tearing pulled my attention before a bright light invaded my vision. I sat up in a panic while gasping for air before looking around.
"My room…?"
I was back in my room. Everything was the same as I had left it when I left for the funeral. I had left for the funeral, right?
'Was it all a dream-?' I questioned only to be interrupted by the ringing of a phone.
I checked the screen to find my mother calling me. We had been speaking every day the conversation I had the day I received that pocket watch.
I went to answer but it stopped ringing due to how long it took me to answer. I was going to put my phone back down until I noticed a chilling detail.
The date on my screen was two days before the funeral. This was the day I had decided to meet up with my family, a week after my mother had called me, so that they could help me find a tailor to make my suit.
"I have memories of the next two days… vivid memories." I said. "You can't just get detailed memories like that!"
I paused following that statement.
'Wait…'
If everything I remembered was real. Everything I knew about had happened or will happen.
'No, no, no! That bastard!'
I had been killed by my half brother in this supposed vision. I had been killed by the one person I least expected. That spineless coward couldn't even hurt a fly. And yet, he killed me…
The ticking of a clock brought my attention away from that line of thought. Around my neck was a strange golden chain with a gem embedded in a pendant. It seemed like an emerald with clock hands inside of it. Each second was sounded off by a tick as the hands of the clock continued their function.
I reached around my neck to find the clasp but found nothing. I tried pulling the chain off with as much force as possible but it didn't seem like it would budge. I got up from my bed to look in the bathroom mirror but I found no way to take off the necklace.
"What the fu- No, stay calm." I said while taking deep breaths.
Curiosity got the better of me and I touched the gem directly.
Right as I touched it, the entire emerald began to glow. The light was so bright that I had to shield my eyes out of fear that I'd go blind.
Bringing my arms downward, I realized that I was sitting in that local coffee shop I always visited. I wasn't sure of the how or why. The ringing of my phone caused me to halt once more. I didn't even bother staring at the screen, I answered without a second thought.
"Hello?" I questioned upon placing the phone to my ear.
"Honey, you should let me and your siblings help you pick out a suit." My mother's voice came from the device.
She lacked the usual cold tone. Ever since that conversation, my mother had been acting strangely. She started talking to me more and even gave me a pet name like most mothers do.
It felt weird. Not wrong, just weird. I don't think this meant that I forgave her but…
I needed to focus. We had picked out a suit four days before the funeral. This didn't help my already struggling mental health. I wanted to scream and yell. Who the hell gets time travel powers from dying?
"Yeah, sure." I replied.
I'd do more than just pick out a suit, cause when I get my hand on my brother, he'll need one for his funeral. What was the point of murdering me in front of dozens of people? Especially when that was a funeral for our grandmother.
I didn't care that I died. No, I cared that my grandma's funeral had been ruined.
"Really?! That's great!" She screamed from the other end.
I had to move the phone away from my ear out of fear that I'd go deaf. She sounded too excited. I was basing my new judgments off of how she cried when i died. If it turned out that she planned for my death, though… I'd kill her.
"Hey, mom." I said, interrupting her loud celebration over the phone. "How about we go out as a family for dinner tomorrow?"
I could hear her breath hitch on the other side before sniffles followed. I didn't think what I had asked was that big of a deal. This didn't remove any suspicions I had of her being one the suspects to plot my death with my brother.
"T-that'd be nice!" She stuttered out.
I hummed in confirmation before hanging up. I didn't have time for pleasantries when my death was on the line. I needed to be ready.
I needed to be smart about this.