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ou want to manipulate here ?” I tried to understand why the others had brought me to a cemetery in the middle of the night. I stopped right in front of the wrought-iron gate with a sign that clearly read ‘Closed at Dusk.’ “Everyone here is dead.”
    “I specifically said we weren’t manipulating. Remember the amusement park?”
    I thought back to the abandoned park they’d brought me to what felt like ages ago. Violet had been in a state of euphoria. She had talked about all of the mixed emotions running through the air. The happiness, the fear. The Allures seemed to nearly get high off the experience. “But this is a cemetery, won’t all the feelings be of mourning?”
    Violet shook her head. “No. People come here to remember, to think about the happy times too. But even the sad emotions aren’t bad.”
    “What are we waiting for then?” I was tired of the numbness. “Why are we standing out here?”
    “Why don’t you lead the way?” Hugh smirked, which made me hesitate.
    “What’s the catch?”
    “What makes you think there’s a catch?” His eyes twinkled.
    Now I knew there was a catch. “Why are you telling me to go first?”
    “He wants you to have the experience alone for the first time.” Violet pointed to the gate.
    “Hugh never does stuff like that. He wants entertainment, which means there’s something else going on.” I spoke calmly. I wasn’t upset by his actions and motivations because I couldn’t be.
    “The first time can be a bit overwhelming. That’s all.” Roland walked to my side. “We can do it together.”
    “Ok.” I was anxious to try it out. I needed to get rid of the numbness, and manipulating didn’t seem to be doing the trick. Maybe this would work better for me.
    I climbed the wrought iron gate with Roland right beside me. We jumped down onto the manicured lawn on the other side.
    My head swam with thousands of voices and thoughts. My chest tightened and felt like it might explode. I grabbed onto Roland for support.
    Somewhere in the background I heard Hugh laughing, but that didn’t matter. I was too busy trying to zero in on individual emotions, trying to savor them.
    Happiness swirled through me, and I could almost feel myself being swung around like a little girl by her father. It was dizzying, and it was wonderful. Tears of happiness spilled down my face. But then the happiness stopped and was replaced by a sadness. It felt like a hole in my heart had opened up and everything was being sucked inside. The dad was no longer swinging me. He was lying on a bed and he looked pale as a ghost. The happy tears turned to sad ones. The pain in my chest intensified, and it took everything I had to stay standing.
    “Keep moving. The intensity will break you.” Roland’s voice sounded far away.
    I let him lead me. I wanted to get away from the sadness that had me ready to fall to my knees.
    Anger flooded through me. Then panic. Then another wave of extreme sadness. And then acceptance. I never knew acceptance had such a unique feel. The emotion didn’t get as much credit as it should have. I held onto it, wanting to keep it for myself, but it started to drift away.
    And then a sweetness twisted with pain flooded me. It was so beautiful but so hard to handle. Two sets of lips kissing. Two people dancing. Two old wrinkled hands holding each other. My chest compressed; I struggled to breath. I felt two arms coming around me as my head spun. Memories came back to me in waves. A familiar set of lips. A different set of hands. Whispered words, and a movie on the lawn. I gasped for air, struggling to surface to a place I had believed was forever gone.
    Owen’s voice echoed through my head. His laughter filled me, and my tears started again. This time for myself. I could taste his lips. I could feel his body pressed against mine and the passion we’d shared in the short time we were given. And then, just as suddenly, it was all gone.
    I opened my eyes. I was lying on