The Gaunt

Tori listened quietly, keeping hold of the emotions that rolled inside her head as more and more people shared their fondness and love for the man. It was comforting to see that David had touched the lives of so many. It seemed that his warmth had reached out into every corner of Sanctuary, his memory living on in the hearts of not just her and the other children, but in every person within the room. It was a connection, and the alienation that she had felt before began to ebb away in small amounts as one by one, everyone had spoken all that they could. It was time to bury David. The mass of people followed the casket out into the snow, Tori amongst those near the rear. Her gaze turned to the gravesite, as if expecting to catch a glimpse of the man standing there, with his warm eyes and loving smile.

Nothing but white, and the upturned earth from the digging. A knowing smile touched her lips, turning away as she waited for her turn. How silly of her, of course he wouldn't be there. The crowd began to thin as people each took hold of the shovel, pouring dirt and snow over the closed coffin in mourning tradition. It came her turn soon enough, pale and cold fingers reaching out to grasp hold of the tool, wrapping around the hilt tightly. Looking down, she could just see the peak where the coffin curled, its shine marred by dirt. With a shuddering breath, she began her work, shovelling small amounts of earth back into the pit to bury the man who had taught her so much. Who had loved her when others turned away.

A familiar emptiness nestled inside of her, biting back a sob as a few early tears froze on her cheeks.
 
"You should hope not to see him again."

For some reason, the words sent a shiver down Brian's spine, or maybe that was the cold's fault. Wither way, he couldn't help but begin thinking of all the ways he would ever see David again. Ghost, death, demons, visions, all sorts of possibilities wormed their way into his brain, but somehow, even ones that were unsettling were, in a way, pleasant. After all, he would be seeing David again.


He took the shovel from Tori, avoiding eye contact. He could feel the bad tension in between them. The shovel's handle was cold to the touch, frozen by the cold air and devoid of the warmth of other people's hands. He slammed the blade into the cold, frozen, hard packed ground and scooped up a shovelful of dirt. He turned, thinking of something to say, some way to say a last goodbye. But for the first time in his life, his words failed him. Nothing came. He just dropped the dirt into the slowly filling grave, giving David one last, final, silent goodbye and moving back towards the group. Odd, he never choked. Only ever when talking to David did he lose his words.