Clar's Goodbye ((Ashley))

[Maryn Livley]

Maryn held the remnants of an old cotton dress in her hands. She had worn the dress as a child and Mercy had carried on the tradition. But, the dress was no longer. It was just pieces of old fabric, worn and dead. Maryn looked at it wearily. Memories flashed through her mind. Really, she shouldn’t have felt this attached to an old dress, but she did. Maryn had felt as connected to all of her memories lately. Each and every one now meant something to her. Something good, something bad, they all meant something. Maryn had memories of her and Nate plying at the park as kids. She remembered last Christmas with Leon and his funeral. She remembered meeting Kia in Hogsmeade throughout the summer. Maryn kept these memories filed away for safe keeping. She wouldn’t forget any of them and she certainly wouldn’t forget this dress. It was a crimson, crème, and green plaid. Aunt Nancy made it for Maryn around her fifth birthday. Mercy had received it on her fifth birthday as well. This dress had seemed many years, but it never looked as lifeless as it did now. Now the dress looked as if it’s time on earth was over and even magic could do no use on the old fabric of memories.

The wind blew Maryn’s new crimson jacket as she still clung to the old fabric. How she wished Mercy was with her. Anyone would be better than Maryn just standing there by her lonesome. But, she had no one right now. Nope, just Maryn and the old dress. Why she was doing this, Maryn didn’t even know. Usually, she had more common sense than to have a funeral for a dress, but at this moment in her life, a dress funeral seemed right for Maryn and her memories. And really, the funeral was more for lost memories than for the dress. The dress was just a symbol of memories. Maryn didn’t really realize that this funeral was to bury old memories that needed to be buried, but a part of her kind of did. Even though she couldn’t really put it into words. Maryn looked up to the old, grey sky. The wind blew so fiercely that it nearly blew the fabric out of her hands, but somehow, she seemed to grasp on to it. Maryn moved over the cotton figure with her fingers gently. It was time to let go. It was time to forget things and yes, starting with a dress funeral.

Maryn sat the old dress in little cardboard box she had brought with her. For a moment, she questioned if she was really going to do this, bury a piece of clothing, but she needed to. She just did. On the box, Maryn had marked, Here Lies Clar, ’99. Yes, the dress had a name. Well, actually, Tommy named it. Maryn didn’t call the dress Clar, but she thought of it that way. Maryn shook her head. As stupid as she really felt, the show must go on. Maryn had already dug the little whole in which she would put the box. She took a deep breath as the cold took over her body for a brief moment. Maryn then realized that it was much too cold to be doing this, but it was too late to turn back. It was now or never for this. She knelt with the box in one hand and gingerly set it down into the whole. With her bare hands, Maryn covered the box with dirt. She patted the soil at the top as she finished. Maryn smiled lightly. Of course, she wasn’t about to put a tombstone near the dress, but she had something in mind. Maryn took a little heart clip out of her pocket. She had worn the clip on the dress for years. Maryn knelt again and sat the little pin on the grave site. She stood back up as she patted the dirt off her hands. Done, right?

Maryn turned to leave, but she paused. Nope, this wasn’t over. Not yet. She turned around and walked back a few steps quietly. Maryn paused. “Um, well here lies Clar. She won’t be forgotten. If it wasn’t for her, I would have walked around naked for years.” Maryn said nodding. She laughed at herself for a moment. Then shook her head. “I kinda wish Mercy was here to see this. She would be bawling, I know. This means more to her than me.” Maryn took a sad breath. “I’m still wondering why I’m having a funeral for a dress. Maybe it’s because it’s time. Time to let go of this.” Maryn shook her head lightly. “I guess it is.” She paused once again before leaving. “Um, you had a good life and I guess you won’t be forgotten. Um, bye.” Maryn waved a tad as she teetered back and forth a bit. Maryn gasped when she turned around. She looked at the figure standing before her. “Um, I was just um..” She stammered. Maryn stopped herself. “So, how much of that did you hear?” She asked.

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley stared down at the piece of golden parchment in front of her, wondering what to write. So far she had only two things down on the essay, her name and the title. Glancing back at the Herbology book, Ashley’s blue eyes scanned the text, looking for something to spark her inspiration. She had to write an in depth essay on how to properly plant a Daisy plant, which had many magical uses. Daisy plants were used in the process of making shrinking potions, but Ashley was never any good at potions. That was why Ashley wasn’t asked by Professor Snape to continue the class in her NEWTs year. Anyways, she didn’t even want to continue the course. For one, she wasn’t all too good at brewing potions, and another, Ashley liked Care of Magical Creatures more than any other class. She had actually gotten an O on the OWLs for the course. Ashley already knew what she wanted to do after Hogwarts. She wanted to work in the Ministry of Magic in the department in regulation and control of magical creatures. Though, her parents wanted Ashley to take control of the family restaurant. Meredith and Ben wanted both of their daughters to continue on with the restaurant when they retired. Elina would be the cook, and Ashley would probably control all the input, or stuff like that. Ashley didn’t want to take over the restaurant, even though Elina was already working there a full time chief. Her sister could control the restaurant with her new fiancé Kostas. Wow that sounded so weird. Elina’s fiancé. That was going to take some time to get used to.

Sighing as Ashley mind wandered from one thing to another, she closed the book shut giving up on her essay. It wasn’t due until next week, so she still had the weekend to work on it. Bringing her knees to her chest, Ashley rested her chin on top of her knees, staring at Tigger. He was playing around with a little ball of yarn that she had gotten him. The cat’s green eyes were so filled with pure joy over the little ball. How could something so little make someone so happy? A small smile curled onto her lips as she remembered being like that a year ago. What happened? How did she become so serious and so filled with sadness? Oh yeah, someone who she had cared so deeply about died. Ashley felt tears swell up in her eyes at the thought of Ryan. It was all her fault what happened to him. Feeling the familiar anger mixed with guilt, Ashley took a deep breath as a tear fell down her face. Why was she still crying over him? It had been a year now. She should be moving on with her life, not still thinking about him. Was she ever going to put this behind her? Maybe, it was about time to talk about it with someone. Elina, Lenora, or someone close to her.
Picking the closed book up, Ashley set it inside of her shoulder bag along with all her other books. Once her bag was already packed for the next day, she pulled on a multi colored fleece jacket, along with a white scarf, leaving the dorm room. She exited the common room and in no time was already out on the grounds. The wind was blowing by past, stinging her eyes. She ignored the feeling, her feet crunching against the ground. She was about to head back inside when noticing a younger girl off to the distance. She was holding what looked like a black dress and was burying it in the ground. Curious to what the girl was doing, Ashley made her way in the direction, stopping behind her as she spoke about someone named Clar. Ashley guessed that it must have been someone who has died in this girl’s life. When she noticed her, Ashley stared at the heart shaped pin on the ground. “All of it,” she answered looking up at the ground crossing her arms over the chest. “What happened?”

[Maryn Livley]

Maryn stared at the older girl. She sighed for a moment as a gust of wind tugged on her hair. Maryn looked at the ground. Did she really want to explain this? No, not at all. So, why again did Maryn want to bury this dress? Oh, yea, she didn't want to. She didn't want to bury a dress, she just had to. Maryn felt stupid for this, she really did, but it wasn't really something that she had a choice over. Her mind just kind of made her bury Clar. Maryn really wasn't a fan of funerals. She had barely made herself go to Leon's and that was hard enough as it was. But, this was different. This was..stupid.T his was a dress's funeral. Maryn just felt, weird for this.S he didn't feel like how she felt at Leon's funeral. She just felt like she had no idea of what she was doing. Maryn sighed. So, again, how would she explain this? Maryn thought to herself for a moment, but no ideas came to her mind. This girl could think that Maryn was a crazy or just young and maybe Maryn was. Maryn realized that she couldn't control what the girl thought of her she sighed and gave up the battle going on in her head.

"Great," She started when the older girl said she had heard all of it. Maryn look at the ground again and that at the grave site. Would you even call this a grave sight? It was more like a bad idea, but whatever. "It died." Maryn started already feeling completely uncomfortable. She looked at the older girl again. "Um, it was a dress my aunt gave me and now it's basically just tatters so I kind of.." Maryn paused. Ok, so how did she finish this. "I kind of gave it a funeral and I feel completely stupid for doing this." Maryn said gasping for air a wee bit. She looked up at the girl. "I don't know why I felt like I needed to bury an old dress. Really, I hate funerals." Maryn's last sentence had such passion in it because it was true. She didn't want to say goodbye to the person that died. She didn't want to say goodbye to Leon when he died. She wanted to say hello when he was alive, but that wasn't possible. At funerals, no one said hello to the departed one. They only said goodbye. And because of this, Maryn was learning to hate that word.

"But, this isn't really a funeral is it?" Maryn continued. "No, it's just a.." Maryn paused yet again. "It's just a mess." Maryn had no idea what this girl was thinking nor did she really want to know. Well, Maryn didn't want to know if the girl thought that she was crazy. But, if the girl that that way, then she did. But, maybe she didn't. After all, Maryn was crazy. No, only half crazy. "Her, umm, I mean its name was Clar. My brother named her when he was younger. I mean I tried to tell him that you don't name clothing unless your a fashion designer, but he wouldn't listen." Maryn laughed lightly. So, when again did she become such a chatterbox? Maryn sighed and looked at the girl. "Oh, I'm Maryn by the way. I figured I should add that in with all the craziness I've been saying." Maryn went on.S he sighed and looked at the heart pin by the grave site. "And you are.." Maryn added in just because she didn't think she could look any more stupid. Or could she?