Rain-scatter beneath my shoes, puddles ripple under staggering steps. Deep walls of mist surround in every direction, only blocked by my umbrella above. Falling unto shelter, the force reverberates throughout my palm, grip loosening as it further hammers down. I reorient myself. Trudge further through the mud, wind flowing amongst both the downpour and around myself, frigid nature and freezing touch. My hair blows over my eyes; I swipe it away with my right hand. Shoes weighed down by mud, like earth-ridden hands, grasping, pulling me towards the under. Not yet.
Trickling drops sound the calming of storm, though perhaps a calm before the storm. I fold my umbrella in, sheathed in the small strap that keeps it bound. Small drops land upon my face. Landing upon skin, they flow off, down into the ground once more. I continue; proceed.
Grey building under the grey guise of cloud. Concrete pillar holding up concrete wall, a sturdy but dull construction. I enter. Darkness broken by holes in the ceiling and walls, slight beams of light penetrating the various darknesses inhibiting vision. The ground underneath shifts still, floor of light dirt, sinking under my steps, but no longer tethering me to the earth. A sprinkle still drifts throughout the room, droplets swaying in the mild influence of wind. I move forth.
Hole in ground, dirt around it; girt as if to contain. Concrete case of solemn nature. Solitary structure in the misty expanse. Centred down, a set of candles; burning oranges and yellows flicker with the wind and weaken with the weather. A swift breath; I blow them out.
Silent vigil, I sit over top. A stone chiselled with mark, grown over with moss, form unrecognisable. Rummage through backpack, I retrieve my possession. Unravel amongst cover; seal of paper, a set of white flowers. Many petals expand from centre, outward in a mesmerising cycle, small delicate nature to form a living art. Unbroken, unshaken, left for life, now as an effigy for death; I lay them atop the grounds.
A swift prayer. Breathe deeply. Recompose. A goodbye to one for another. A rest unending, life unchanging; finality. Past their life, the world continues without notice. The rain pours down through the roof. I unfurl my umbrella, expanding outward in a blossom of fabrics. I lay it above the bouquet. Shelter.
Despite death, this life continues to move on, and so shall I. Though a life might have an ending, there always remains an epilogue.