He clock struck six in the evening, casting an orange glow over the mountains that stretched out in the distance. Elijah and Rebekah sat in the backseat of Josh Orleans' car, the father of Elijah and a close friend of Rebekah's parents. They were headed home after a day of school.
"How was your day?" asked Karla, Elijah's mother, turning to face the two teens.
"Good," they replied in unison.
"We learned some interesting things," said Elijah. "We even saw the place where Melia Conkinova's tombstone is located."
"That's quite something," said Josh, smiling at his son's enthusiasm. "Where is it?"
"It's just outside London," replied Rebekah. "But unfortunately, the professor said it was demolished."
"Outside London..." whispered Karla, "and they called it Fallen."
"Fallen?" asked Rebekah, confused.
"That's where they buried murderers and those killed by others during Christ's time," explained Josh.
"I knew something didn't add up," said Elijah, scratching his head. "Why is Melia buried in a place of murderers or assassins? By the way, the cemetery is actually called Failed Decay."
"If she's buried there, it must be for a reason," said Josh with a sigh. "Heaven knows why she ended up in that place."
When they arrived home, Elijah asked his father if he could take him to the ruins to see Melia's tombstone.
"No," Josh replied firmly. "That's a graveyard, and that girl is dead. You're not going to take something personal from a dead girl. That's just wrong."
"But I'm not going to take it away from her," protested Elijah. "I just want to be sure if her gravestone is real or just a figment of someone's imagination."
"I need to know everything about this woman," he continued. "Her thoughts, her ideas. I need answers."
Elijah's father drummed his fingers on the wooden table before finally giving in. "All right," he said. "I'll take you to see the tombstone. But only so you can see it and leave the subject alone."
Elijah nodded eagerly, thrilled at the prospect of finally visiting the cemetery. "Sure," he said. "I just want to see the tombstone and that's all."
"Just remember," warned Josh. "You have to be careful when digging under the rubble. There's a chance you may find something unimaginable."