The Beginning Ends

Jake 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.

Jake went to check inside the power station. Vic was still asleep on the floor. Jake 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?”

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

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

Jake shook his head, no words available. Vic clenched his jaw and cried.

Jake put an arm around Vic 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 implied otherwise.

Jake stood up. “C’mon, let’s go.” He offered Vic a hand to help him up. The duo left the station and headed toward the car.

“Where are we going?” Vic opened the passenger door.

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

“Then,” Jake picked up the gargoyle from the dashboard, rotating it in his hand. “We figure it out from there.”

Jake looked at the statue, then to Vic. Jake 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.