Andy

I squeezed tighter, burying my face in her shoulder, keeping it together, I breathed in her sweet floral perfume. Saying goodbye to my Grandmother was far more difficult than it had ever been. Given her current state, leaving her side then, when the day out was over, was like tearing myself in two.

“It’s was great seeing you all.” My Grandmother smiled at us, I finally pulled away, forcing down the remainder of the pent up emotions that were plaguing my heart and mind.

Everything felt like a hazy dream... I didn’t quite feel myself walking away, placing myself in the backseat of the car. I didn’t register the rain drops splattering against the window beside me, or the other doors opening as my parents climbed in. All I could think about was what my Dad had said. He met my eyes in the rearview mirror, and they lit up with false pride. I dropped my gaze.

Nostalgia came over me in a wave as I stared up at the storm clouds, like the week Andy died, it had rained every day, and was always overcast. It carried with it the feeling of that week, and reminded me of all the good times we shared that week.

The bright blue sky I’d been looking at all day faded away under a murky wash of varying shades of grey. It felt more like home, and melted away the homesickness I was beginning to feel. I just imagined the budy streets we were driving on were the desolate ones in Pendant. That the snotty store tenders were actually the kind, smiling folks I grew up knowing.

My parents asked what I wanted for dinner, but after some thought, they just decided to order pizza and have dinner at the hotel. Sounded good to me, I could ‘people’ anymore today.

When we got back, thunder was rumbling, a huge, dark stormcloud loomed over the hotel, swirling furiously. I crossed the cracked asphalt parking lot, and rode the elevator to the third floor, where I seperated from my parents after a brief ‘how was your day?’ conversation. It killed me... Everytime I looked my Dad in the eye, all I could see was disappointment that wasn’t there, and I could hear his words looping in my head. It was enough for me to duck my head to hide my hurt until I was walking down a hall different from theirs, heading back to my room. Andy walked by my side, in a normal fashion. He was calm, not grinning or skipping or anything obnoxious. It was just like walking with a good friend.

“You know what?” He piped up as I inserted the hotel key into the slot, the lights blinked red and I tried it again.

“What?”

“We should just watch a movie and hang out.”

He didn’t say it as a suggestion to overwrite anything I had planned. It was like taking a deep breath, and deciding to just relax instead of running around Berkeley causing havoc.

“Sounds good.” I agreed when the lights finally turned green and the door unlocked. “You can pick out the movie, if you want. My laptop is in my bag, and there should be an HDMI cable you can take from the satillite box to connect it to the TV.”

He nodded in confirmation, deviating to go find the said items, while I grabbed my clothes bag and drug it into the bathroom. Shutting the door, I looked at my reflection again. Makeup smeared and out of place from the long day, my hair, which had started out with nice, precise curls, was now a frizzy mess because of all the humidity.

I started by brushing through my hair, in long, strict strokes, I pulled my hair downwards, trying to change the puffy condition of my hair. When I realized the frizz wasnt going anywhere, I just grabbed a hairtie from my ag and strung it back carelessly.

I tossed the summer dress aside, relieved to be changing into something more comfortable. I got my black and purple Scorpions t-shirt from my bag and the grey sweatpants I had. After changing, I wet down a wash cloth and wiped the eyeshadow and fake blush off my cheeks, revealing more of myself with each wipe.

When it looked like I’d removed every trace of glitter from my eyelids and scrubbed off the remaining eyeliner, I put everything back in my bag, to exit into a dark room, illuminated by the flatscreen on the wall.

Dramatic music played, and on the screen, the camera panned over an rusted, moisture coated manhole cover, up the cliche sides of an old apartment, with all the ladders and staircases on the terris, up to a rooftop. The camera followed the edge of a red brick building, in the darkness, there was a figure standing by a steaming smoke stack. Turning dramatically halfway, it revealed the pointed tips at the top of the black mask, and the mouth, twisted in a dreading frown. The logo Batman flashing across the screen.

“Predictable.” I sighed, walking across the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Andy sat crosslegged on the floor, staring up at the screen like a little boy seeing his idol.

He didn’t respond, he just stared at the screen. It didn’t matter though, because there was a knock at the door. I jumped up, flipping on one of the bedside lamps, and went to the door, pulling it open, it was my Mother, smiling, with a pizza box and a bottle of Pepsi.

“Try to get to bed at a reasonable time.” She warned me with a laugh as she walked in, seeing that Batman was playing. “I didn’t think you liked Batman?”

“Oh, just thought I’d check it out.” I shrugged. She set down the pizza on the small table in the corner. “We’re heading over to Mickey’s tomorrow at one, so you have some time to go swimming or shopping, whatever you want to do, before we leave tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” I nodded in agreement. “Thanks.”

She smiled, kissed my forehead and headed for the door. “Goodnight, love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After she’d left, I went to investigate the food.

“Hungry?” I called to Andy, but he was enthralled with the movie he had undoubtably seen dozens of times. “Oi!”

“What?”

“Hungry?” I repeated, waving a paper plate at him.

He cracked a smile. “We’ve already gone over this, but sure.”

I guess it just came down to me acting that way. It was still difficult to comprehend that he was never actually there, so the only way I could really cope with it, was treating him as human as possible, by offering him food at all times and letting him sleep, being quiet when he was, and treating him like if he leapt from a cliff, he would die, so treat him with respect at all times, which is just a general rule.

We sat next to each other on the floor, eating pizza, drinking Pepsi, staring at the flatscreen. It was sometime around ten when that film ended. I took the opportunity between movie switches to go brush my teeth and get ready for bed.

He chose The Bride of Frankenstein this time. I climbed into bed and turned out the lamp. I lied there, staring at the flickering black and white screen while my lids gradually grew heavier and harder to keep open. I fought against my exhaustion, trying to remain involved in the story, but all it took was for me to blink, and the weight of my eyes closing, just kept them closed.

~~~


The sky was hazy, thick with storm clouds. They churned angrily, barreling towards me like a bull, eyes dark with rage.

I couldn’t quite move, I stood, mesmerized by their dark beauty. My feet remained planted, and I stared at them, moving at a slow, but steady pace. The closer they got, the more the wind picked up, tossing the upper branches of the cottonwood trees around me viciously. Yet, despite the growing danger, I couldn’t pull myself away, nor look anywhere else but the sky. Brilliant and beautiful, yet dark and dangerous to tamper with.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but I suddenly felt this pulling sensation, pulling me away from that spot, like a hand in mine, it guided me away from that dark meadow.

I followed my instincts, into the trees. There was no path, nor any sign anyone had ever traveled this way before. Yet, despite my uncertainty, I continued to tread forward, bare feet patting against the damp pineneedle floor slowly.

I lifted a hand, pushing aside some low branches, stepping into a clearing. The sky was overcast here, too. Wind whipping branches, and my hair across my eyes, blurring my vision. I pulled it back, and studied the scene in front of me uncertainly.

There was a gathering of people in dark clothing standing at it’s center, hovering around something in them middle. Hesitantly, I walked forward, wary of who they were. The closer I got, the more I could hear them, the cries. They were crying, no, sobbing. Wretched tears and agony could be heard as I drew near to where they all stood.

I couldn’t make myself speak or form words. I just moved forward, into the crowd. They divided silently, faces lost in the shadows of the black hoods they wore, and in their hands, they clutched small golden medallions in one hand, and lit pillar candle in the other. I paused to look and the medallions they held, it appeared to be a familiar looking star with elegant looking loops around the points. I had seen it somewhere before, but was unable to place it.

I turned, and kept pushing onwards, gently pushing aside the cloaked figures as I worked my way to the center.

When I got there, my heart sank in realization. There was an elaborate funeral set up, a stone coffin resting on a dark stone pedestal, a large cross cut out of the upper area. That wasn’t the strangest thing about the arrangement, though.

There was a light shining from the cross cutout, shifting with shadows and dust, as if the sun itself was shining through.

The faces of the mourners revealed themselves, the shadows of their cloaks residing. Their faces drawn, but calm, all eyes on the magnificent stone coffin.

I realized then, that there was no sound, not even the wind. I watched them, shift and turn, forming a small, respective crowd a few feet away, in front of the coffin display, a line of people lined up to view the body. It made me curious, who in the world could it be in there? The coffin’s lid was opened, and one by one, mourners stepped up, bowing their heads in silence, they whispered prayers, crossed their hearts, dropped something into the coffin, and moved on.

The Coffin’s lid obstructed my view, and the crowd in front of it made it impossible to even steal a sliver glance at who rested inside. My heart was pounding, and there was the uneasy churn of butterflies in m stomach. Something about the scene just made me uneasy.

I took notice of those approaching, and saw a girl with long black hair, face half shadowed by her hood, unlike the others, she smiled. Perhaps at a good memory or other event? I couldn’t be sure. She reached forward, in the same way many others had, to leave a token behind, but unlike the others, her hands were empty.

I stood up on my tippy toes in an effort to get a better look. No one else seemed to see the swift, calculated movement of her grabbing the star shaped pendant from inside the coffin, tucking it into her jacket before walking away.

“Thief!” I shouted, shoving my way into the crowd. I don’t know what compelled me to do so, or even bother trying to do anything. It wasn’t really my problem, yet I felt like it was my duty to defend it.

People started to turn in shock, trying to identify the thief, their lips trembled, but I couldn’t hear their words, only my own.

“Stop!” I shouted at the girl, who’d stepped away from the coffin, looking calm, but eyes wide with panic.

The crowd had disbursed enough that I could get right next to the coffin. I peered down at it, to feel my heart sink at the sight of the familiar war paint, and the still, cold body lying inside.

I don’t know if seeing Andy dead was what fueled me to get back the medallion, or some other force entirely, but all I knew was that I needed to get it back.

I pushed my way through the crowd, keeping my eyes trained on the girl. She backed up slowly, searching the crowd in panic, trying to remain discreet as she slipped away from the scene, moving closer to the forest edge.

“STOP!” I shouted again, louder than before, my voice echoing off the trees, sending a swarm of birds fleeing to the sky. That wasn’t what made my heart freeze, though. Because the moment that word left my lips, everyone, including the thief, dropped dead.

Notes

Inspired by The Funeral by Band of Horses and this video/song Coffin by Black Veil Brides

I went camping for three days and wrote some new updates to get ahead. I can't wait to post them!

Shoutouts!

- anathema