Black Heart Inertia - 2. Chapter 2: Ghost

He settled the picture of the once happy family down and looked back at the parents of the dead boy, “Mr. Xion, are you sure you can bring our baby back?” Mrs. Dervings said weakly.

He smiled, taking her quivering hands into his. “I promise Mrs. Dervings that I will bring your son back to life. All I need is his body.”

Her husband spoke up, “That’ll be arranged. We’ll just have a closed casket.” Mr. Xion nodded and stood to leave. “Wait,” Mr. Dervings said. “Will he be the same, will he remember us?”

“I promise.” Xion said before he left. He was proud that he was doing something good with the knowledge he had unearthed only a year before. It was going to pay off with this family just like it did, like it did for him.

Mr. Xion had gone through the same thing a few years before he was able to bring his wife and child back to life.

* * *

Had you ever had a dream that could’ve been a memory or a memory that could’ve been a dream? I was too confused to tell what it was. I was standing outside in the snowing forest and not too far from me was a monument. It couldn’t have been manmade; it was far too beautiful to be made by stained hands. It was made completely out of ice with ornate designs etched in it in silver and black.

I woke up from the dream oddly cool and calm. The dream was nothing new. After the Black Heart dream, it’s been the only thing playing in my mind’s theater and I was tired of seeing it; but it never continued itself. It just stopped outside of the ice tower. I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and got moving. And it was already 3o’clock.

A kid had died at my school. Clark Dervings was an okay person from what I’d been told. He was a good student, really didn’t miss with drugs or anything, except for the occasional drink. We just never ran in the same circles to really be friends but people said he would be friends with anyone. His family took it pretty hard, as any good family-no, as most families, would.

He was an only child so I could kind of relate because I was an only child and knowing dad who try to resurrect me as a zombie and keep me in the basement if he had to. But anyway, his funeral was today.

* * *
“Has the Black Heart contacted him again?” Blake jumped at the sound of her voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Blake looked at the door to find Colonel Sonet leaning against his doorframe. “Need help with your tie?” She had assumed the identity of his mother while they were there to watch Chance. Dr. Shatterheart was very pleased that the Colonel was being very protective in this, but it was the Black Heart.

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I had to wear a tie.” He raised his chin up, giving her hands the room to move. “According to Chance, no. The Black Heart has remained dormant but it is cunning like that.”

She nodded, “It could be altering him slowly. Has he changed?”

Blake shrugged, “Not that I know of. But I’ll keep a close eye on him.”

“I know you will.” She said with a smile. “There. Now you can do it for yourself.”

“Thanks. Wow, you don’t look bad Colonel.” She wore a simple two-piece black dress suit.

“Thank you, now, I believe it’s time meet the Dr. and his son.”

* * *
I never liked funerals but who does? Well, maybe the funeral homes since that’s how they make their money; but who would really feel good about making money off the dead? When Sam, Dad, Blake, Ms. Valens, and I showed up early enough to be seated in the middle row giving us a good view of the closed casket.

I nudged Sam and nodded to the casket but she looked bewildered. “Why is the casket closed? I thought he died of a heart condition.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. Maybe they’ll open it later, during the service.”

Sam looked good today then again she looked good every day. She wore a simple black sundress that went a little passed her knees and bloomed at the bottom a bit. Her medium dark brown hair was in light curls that touched her shoulders. She had happy brown eyes with a pink Cupid’s bow for a mouth. She had a button nose and slim body from track. She nodded for me to go over to the Dervings.

“Hey,” Blake whispered into my ear, “I’m going up to give my condolences to the Dervings, you want to come?” I nodded, but Sam said she was waiting for her brother.

Blake had stayed my friend after the 1st week. He was kind, funny, and a little clueless sometimes; but overall he was great and most likely straight. I tried to figure out which way he swung but got nothing at all. Plus my gay-dar was broken when I got from Gays-R-Us and they had never sent a replacement.

Ms. Valens, who worked with my dad at the college, was there too. She was tall, well for a girl. She was taller than me, with shocking black hair and stormy blue-gray eyes. Hers were nothing like Blake’s weird eyes. His were open while hers were hiding something. She had been over to do work with Dad a few times and when she thought I wasn’t paying attention she would just stare at me with her probing eyes like she was waiting for something to set off an alarm. I try to act like it doesn’t bother me. She and Blake do not look alike in any way, shape, or form. He must get everything from his father, who I’ve yet asked about.

As we approached the Dervings, I saw Nico Sky in a dark silver shirt with the top button unbuttoned to show his smooth chest and a pair of perfect fitting pants that cupped his even more perfect ass. Nico, besides joining Music, was now on the swim team. He swam the one-hundred meter while I was free stroke. My eyes studied that beautiful body so many times that I was to the point where I knew where every birth mark and mole was on his body, which kind of made me feel like a stalker, but Sam agreed that anyone with a pulse and eyes would be doing to same thing.

Nico and Blake didn’t get along very much. Then again when did the Good All-American Boy ever get along with the Ultimate Wet Dream Bad Boy? Besides in every gay wet dream or teen movie. They did calm it down enough to sit at the same table though. Nico would basically compliment anything and everything that looked good in clothes, including guys; except for Blake of course. I think it’s because they’re both the Alpha Male type person, while Blake is the quiet one and Nico isn’t.

Nico did love to flirt and embarrass me because he kept saying, “God, I never knew a black person could blush,” And Sam, whoever was closer, or I would smack him on the head. But he meant good or at least he did to me.

“Hey,” Nico greeted Blake with a handshake and then turned to me. “Hi, Chance, how are you?”

“Good. You?” I said while Blake headed off to talk to the Dervings.

He shrugged his shoulders to say. “Okay, I guess. I knew Clark, good dude.”

I patted him on the arm, “I’m sorry. I heard he was a good kid. But I never knew him. How are his parents?”

He looked behind him then back at me. “They’re strange. “

“How so?”

“Well, two days ago when a couple of the guys and I went over to help clean the house, mow the grass and things like that, they were a wreck. Some broken dishes, food all over, and the trash was over flowing, and today, their neutral.” My brows furrowed, “I mean they’re like indifferent. Like they’re here for someone else’s funeral.”

“Maybe they’re in shock.”

He sighed again, “Whatever, man, that’s just not normal.”

“Did he have a girlfriend?” Nico said yeah. “Where is she?”

“There.” He pointed to a girl sitting a few people away from his parents. I couldn’t see her face because it was buried in her hands. “She’s really taking it hard. I heard that’s there’s no burial site. They’re cremating him.” I winced at that, Nico noticed. “Yeah, Chloe, his girlfriend, said he didn’t want to be cremated but apparently his parents don’t care.”

I shrugged, “I mean, I guess they can do whatever because there’s no written will and she can’t report it to the police since she’s only his girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean but that’s just fucked up that they would do that to their only kid.”

“People change a lot when someone they love dies.”

“I know, well, I’ll let you go give your respects, see you later.”

I said later and walked over to his parents and I immediately understood what Nico was talking about. His parents sat in the front pew, closest to the closed casket. They sat there, the husband holding his wife’s hand as she held a handkerchief to her dry nose. They looked like mourners from a distance, like she was holding onto him for stability and he would hide his emotions until she healed but in reality they stared at the casket like a bored student at European film about 12^th century music.

They were daydreaming about something, I could just tell.

I walked up next to them and knelt down to her eye level. “Hi, I’m Chance, I came to give my condolences.” They nodded and thanked me. “If there’s anything you need just ask.”

Mrs. Dervings looked at me sweetly, “Thank you so much-.” She stopped talking to look at her husband who was looking at someone outside.

I started to walk away when Mr. Dervings grabbed my arm, “Wait, son.” I hated when people called me ‘son’ and I wasn’t their son. “Could you do us a favor?”

“Sure.”

He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to me. “This is Clark’s favorite song. We heard you’re in the choir so would you sing it for us?”

I was speechless for a moment. “Oh, uh, yeah, if you’re sure that’s there no one else you want to sing it.”

His eyes were the color of fall leaves, “Yes, we’re sure. Please?”

“Yes, I would be honored. When do you want me to sing it?” I had never sung at a funeral before. It felt weird. I mean, I didn’t even know this guy and now I have to sing for him.

“When we offer up the final prayer, when we all join hands.” He said rather forcefully might I add.

“I’ll do it.” I said and walked as fast as I could back to my group.

Dad and the others watched me sit down and run a nervous hand through my hair. It was too long and starting to straighten itself out of the ringlets it was normally in when it was short. That was the strangest thing about my hair besides the color, after a while it would start to straighten itself into wavy locks.

“Kiddo, what’s wrong?” Dad looked a little uneasy.

“Uh, well, I went up there and said I was sorry for their lost and asked if there was anything I could do for them and they asked me to sing for the funeral. I don’t want to sing at a funeral, it’ll make me seem like a cheap, tactless, attention whore.” I said in one big breath.

They all just blinked at me like I grew another head and it was a geisha girl.

“Well, that sucks for you.” Sam said, trying to hold back a snicker.

“I’m going to murder you.”

Mr. Dervings motioned for me to come up to the podium. Everyone’s eyes were closed so my nerves calmed down a bit, until I reached the podium. Clark’s girlfriend, Chloe, was staring at me, smiling with her bloodshot eyes. She was a pretty girl, around 5’6”, with chocolate hair and green eyes that shined brightly in the now seemingly dark room. She nodded to me and I nodded back.

I took the paper out and straightened out the creases. It wasn’t a song I’d sung before or one I’d even heard of. There were no real notes of the paper so I just had to wing it. I took a breath and sung.

“Reaching up for no man`s land
To take a breath and take a chance
I walk a thousand nights to change the world
Where to go? When to stop?
Who to trust? What to say?
Found them all just need someone to share

It`s now in the dusk every day to everyone
Ain`t so strong, I ain`t so strong to go
Living in life as it`s not the way to live
I wish you could hear me say that I miss you

Why were we there back to back?
Why were we there face to face?
I must be the light when you`re in the dark
If you lose me somewhere, and your tears are in the air
I will ring a bell until you feel me by your side.”

Someone rang a bell. My eyes fell on Mrs. Dervings with a tiny silver bell.

“Looking up into the sky, looking for the reason
Why I`m here, and why you can`t be here
Who`s to hate? Who`s to blame?
Who`s to hurt? Who`s to love?
Who decides? Why we can`t we be the same?

Try to believe walking down the lonesome road
Ain`t so far, I ain`t so far from you
Staying the way you are means solitude
I wish you were here and shook off my fear

Why were we there back to back?
Why were we there face to face?
I must be the light when you`re in the dark
If I lose you somewhere, and I`m still hanging in there
I will ring a bell until you feel me by your side.”

I felt strange like something was fighting inside of me. I pushed the thoughts away.

“What has been in the mix too long?
There`s the peace when you`re at war
Heads or tails, You and I
Light and dark, Ups and downs
What has been in the mere goal? What`s there to divide us?
If you`re hurt, cry and say can`t you see your might of the heart

Why were we there back to back?
Why were we there face to face?
I must be the light when you`re in the dark
If you lose me somewhere, and your tears are in the air
I will ring a bell until you feel me by your side.”

As I finished I felt that feeling again only stronger like someone was trying to pull something out of me. Maybe I wanted to cry. When I got back to my dad and the other’s I saw someone move outside the church’s windows. There were two people, a man and teen. I couldn’t see the man because he saw me first and began to move away but the teen, I saw him dead on. He looked at me with dead eyes. It was Clark Dervings. I went to say something but I couldn’t. Out of nowhere, I felt energy being pulled from me into Clark Dervings. His dead eyes flickered with recognition and something else…something wrong. And I passed out.

* * *

Blake stared out of the car window as they drove away from the Shatterheart residence. His mind consumed with everything that had happened since Chance collapsed into his arms at the funeral.

The Dr. and Sam suggested it was probably his nerves finally getting the better of him and thankfully he wasn’t still at the podium so no one but their little group saw it happen and they were able to get him home quietly. After convincing same to go home the Dr. insisted on running a few tests just incase.

Henry came back with the test results and a sour look on his face. “Someone used Chance to evoke a spell.”

The colonel sat up, “How much energy did they take from him?”

He looked back down at the paper, “It seems they only took a little but Chance isn’t use to expending energy in that way anymore, that’s why he passed out but he’s perfectly fine. He’ll be up and running tomorrow.”

“Can I go up and see him?” Blake asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, go see if you can wake him and get him to eat something.”

Blake knocked on the door tentatively but Chance didn’t answer. He let himself in and saw that Chance was still asleep. He was wrapped up tightly in his comforter with only the top of his head showing. Blake pulled the blanket away, seeing Chance’s sleeping face. He wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel his lips against the soft tiny, lips.

He stopped himself, shaking Chance lightly. “Hey, buddy, wake up.” Chance groaned and shifted. “Chance, come on.”

“No.” Chance said.

“You need to wake up.”

Chance’s eyes snapped opened like a crazed man and narrowed on Blake, “What?”

Blake laughed, “Come on, your dad said you need to eat something.”

Chance mumbled a few choice words and sat up, his comforter fell away from his bare torso, and Blake had to keep from drooling. His eyes scanned the smooth, defined pecs and abs as Chance stretched and twisted; unconsciously showing the ‘V’ that disappeared into Chance’s trunks. Unlike the hair on Chance’s head, the rest of his body hair was completely black.

“So, uh, what happened?” Chance asked.

“You passed out.”

He winced, “Oh God, please tell me I didn’t cause a scene?”

“Nope, we moved you pretty quickly.” Blake said. “But, uh, why’d you passed out?”

Blake’s question triggered my memory. My eyes met the dead eyes of Clark Dervings’ and then my body felt heavy and darkness consumed my vision. I shivered at the memory but if what I saw was real, then Clark wasn’t dead. That’s why the casket was closed! But why would they fake his death…or did he runaway? I saw a flash of the man who was holding Clark by the shoulders. Maybe he was kidnapped and this was part of ransom. But whatever it was I was going to find out because I’m curious, and if it’s good enough to make Adam and Eve fall from grace then it can get me to find out what the hell is going on.