Beloved Teacher

“She was a beloved teacher. Who could have done this?” I whispered as I watched the procession lead into the cemetery. Mrs. Rose had been my favorite teacher even though most people didn’t agree with me. Or even believe me when I told them how much she had helped me. 

I had not been invited to the funeral because Mrs. Rose’s family wanted it to be a small service with only her immediate family. I had been following the procession at a slow pace hoping no one would notice. But only after I had snuck into the church so I could say my goodbyes to the only teacher who ever understood me. No one asks questions when you look like you work at the church. The church staff assumed I was with the family and Mrs. Rose’s family assumed I worked for the church. I only got a few strange looks, but nobody bothered to say anything. 

I needed to find out what happened because, without Mrs. Rose, I didn’t know what my future held. Without her. I could not sustain life. Without Mrs. Rose, my dark days would be seen no more and I would be forced into the light that haunted my every waking hour. My days of being a creature of the shadows would come to an end unless I could find her murderer. Her murderer was the only living creature who could get me back on track. The only creature with whom I could survive.