The Beginning Ends

Wake sat up and looked around, the morning sun pinching the back of his eyeballs. It took a beat to remember where he was and the events of the previous day.

“…Ash? ASH?”

Nothing. Only a distant crow broke the silence.

Wake went to check inside the power station. Vic was still asleep on the floor. Wake sat down next to him and gently shook his arm.

“Hey, Vic, man. Wake up.”

Vic stirred and looked around. “Where’s Meg?” He looked outside. “And Ash?”

Wake didn’t know what to say. He knew, from the moment he woke up, he knew they were both gone. He could feel the passing, he’d felt it every time a Bob moved on.

But it took Ash. What the fuck? What the actual fuck??

Wake shook his head, clenched his jaw, and cried.

Vic put an arm around Wake and waited. The two sat for a time, processing the events of the last 24 hours.

Vic wondered where Meg was now. Was she dead? Or was she in that void somewhere? Can people come back, he’d heard people say no one comes back, but Meg showing up (in whatever form that was), and that statue thing, sure seemed to suggest otherwise.

Vic stood up. “C’mon, let’s go.” He offered Wake a hand to help him up. He left the station, and opened the passenger door.

“Where are we going?” Wake wiped his face, and entered the driver’s side.

“First, we’re going to eat. There’s a diner about an hour from here that’s still open, it’s pretty good.”

“Then,” Vic picked up the gargoyle from the dashboard, rotating it in his hand. “We’re going northwest.”

Wake looked at the statue, then to Vic. After a moment, he understood what Vic intended to do. Wake had been taught that no one came back. But then, it seemed he’d been taught a lot of things that were sideways of the truth. He looked at the statue again, and started the car.