what?”
“Now would be a good time to remember him.” Herrick looked to the east. The sun will rise soon. “Who would like to start?”
“I will.” Micah took a step forward. “Benjamin was an okay guy, though he was kinda gross with his whisky and shit, and those sons of bitches who killed him are gonna fucking pay.”
Herrick rolled his eyes impatiently. “That isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Des, do you have something more appropriate?”
“Um, yeah. Benjamin was a good guy. Been awhile since we had one of the old poker nights. I’ve been thinking we needed to do it again soon, but I guess we won’t get to now. I’ve been too busy with all this shit with Oren. I thought we had forever, you know?”
Before he could continue his cellphone rang; the dance rhythm seemed out of place at the solemn occasion. Des answered it quickly, nodded and then hung up. “That was Oren. Elsa won’t help them, so we’re trying alternate routes for information. I need to run if I’m going to meet up with them before sunrise. You guys can sleep here if you want after… you know.” He motioned to Benjamin’s prone form.
Micah looked suddenly hopeful. “You going to kill that bastard Claudius?”
“Not tonight, it’s just a meeting. Oren loves that crap.” Des checked his watch. “I have to go. Sorry.”
Herrick threw his hands up. “Of course, go. Micah and I will finish this.”
“Sorry,” Des repeated and then hurried towards the street and his car.
Herrick took a deep calming breath and looked towards the horizon again. Des was right, they had very little time. The sun would rise soon and cleanse the world.
“You gonna say something?”
Herrick looked at Micah in surprise. “Yes, I suppose I should.” He let his eyes settle on the dead body and tried to remember the old funeral rites, but they were lost to time. He barely remembered his birth language anymore.
He cleared his throat, as though it would make a speech easier. “Benjamin was an interesting man, to say the least. And though I didn’t expect to be here, I would not say it was because he lacked bravery. He was brave, but he was the kind of brave that stays behind and guards the house while the warriors go to battle. He was dependable and reliable and, though his words were gruff, I believe his heart was soft. He will be greatly missed, not only for the help he has provided to many over the last twenty or thirty years, offering them shelter, help and acceptance, but also as a recognizable figure around town.” A strange smile made Herrick’s eyes crinkle. “Even the mortals were beginning to notice he hadn’t changed. He had become a fixture, and there will be a Benjamin shaped hole in the world now that he is gone.”
Micah lit a cigarette and puffed on it. It was several minutes before he spoke. When he did, his voice was thick, “That was beautiful, man.”
“Thank you.” Herrick’s eyes skipped to the horizon again. A gold line appeared, like a crack between heaven and earth opening to take Benjamin home. “We had best go indoors, now.”
Micah nodded and grabbed the nearby shovel. He held it up, then dropped it again. “Fuck it, Des can get it.”
They watched through the window of the back bedroom as the sun crested the hill and the first rays spread across the cold grass. They backed away quickly, but not before Herrick saw the smallest of flames licking at Benjamin’s ugly Hawaiian shirt. He said a quick prayer, though he wasn’t sure to who, and asked that someone, somewhere take Benjamin into their everlasting care. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, reclaimed by the sun they had long ago abandoned.
They hurried through the house and clunked down the stairs to the finished basement and Des’s bedroom. Without feeling, Herrick pointed to the bed. “You can have it. The floor is fine for me.”
“I’m not gonna argue.” Micah flashed him a fanged grin and peeled off his motorcycle boots.
Herrick found some extra pillows and made himself comfortable. When he closed his eyes he saw Benjamin’s lifeless body, the first rays of the sun gleaming golden on his pale skin. The image disappeared and suddenly he saw Caroline again. Tonight showed how fragile life was – even immortal life. He thought of Micah’s advice, “Why don’t you just go knock on the door? What’s the worst that could happen?”
Maybe he should. What was the worst that could happen?
In his mind he suddenly heard Des, his voice offhanded and matter of fact, “His human is dead.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
“His human is dead.”
No, now was not the time to talk to Caroline. Maybe when the fight was behind him, but not now.
Not yet.
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You can find Herrick, Micah, Benjamin and Des in the short story Benjamin, and you can find Elsa in the short story Elsa. All but Herrick are sprinkled throughout the Amaranthine novels.
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About the Author
Joleene Naylor is the author of the glitter-less Amaranthine series, a world where vampires aren’t for children. As a compliment to the novel series, she has also written several short story collections and the Amaranthine Files encyclopedia..
In what little time is left she watches anime and updates her blogs, all from a crooked Victorian house in Villisca, Iowa. Between her husband and her pets, she is never lonely, and should she ever disappear one might look for her on a beach in Tahiti, sipping a tropical drink and wearing a disguise.
Ramblings from the Darkness at www.JoleeneNaylor.com
You never know what you’ll find in the shadows…..
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