So Long, Not Goodnight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Steam followed by fog drenched the clearing. They both looked as though they were hovering over the ground, their feet disappeared beneath the grey ground clouds. Frank climbed back into the grave, rooting around in the ashy remnants of their ritual. There was nothing there except for velvety soot that was so thick it could be packed into black snowballs. As Frank climbed out, with Gerard's help, he clapped his hands together, a black cloud falling into the fog. Frank shoveled the dirt back into the grave, evening it out with the back of the shovel and smoothing it out like how it had been. Gathering up the rest of their supplies, Frank turned back to Gerard to begin the walk back to the car and finding him at the head of the mound, his fingers splayed open on the bark of the wisteria tree. "So long, Helena," he whispered, crying softly. "And goodnight."

His hand began to pulse and warm before pulling away, leaving a bare branched tree with wiry limbs poking out all over and short roots. The same symbol that adorned her funeral pamphlet. Eyebrows knotted in confusion, he felt over the imprint, fingers dusted black. "Helena?" Gerard closed his eyes, feeling the wind blow up from his calves and up through his hair. "Are you with me?"

Nothing but the rustling sounds of the woods surrounding them came through. "Gee," Frank approached him, resting a hand on his hip. "You ready?"

"I thought..." His eyes blinked open finding Frank's. "I thought that I felt her."

"In some ways, she'll always be here," Frank rubbed his hand up and down Gerard's side. "But not in a Poltergeist kind of way."

Gerard's laugh bounced from his throat, showing the small caps of his teeth. "Yeah, you're right, Frankie," he backed away from the trunk and looked up at the wild tangles above them. "I hope she's somewhere far away from this hell."

"Me too, baby," Frank tucked Gerard's head onto his shoulder as they walked away, the flashlight guiding them back to the road. "Me too."

The road was still uninhabited as they stepped over loose gravel on the shoulder towards the car. Gerard pressed a button on his key fob as the lights and alarm chirped open. Frank placed the shovel and matches into the trunk as Gerard started up the engine, turning on his headlights. The asphalt sparkled in the light as Frank seated himself next to Gerard and buckled himself into his seat. After a lazy three-point turn, they were headed back to the house, the light was guiding them and the darkness settled behind them as they found the main road and felt more comfortable with the familiarity. 

The car wheezed into the driveway welcomed by the porch light. All the windows were black with absence. They both sat in the car as Gerard switched off the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition. Frank laid a hand down on Gerard's knee, the ash and grime still dusted over his knuckles stuck in all the little wrinkles. "It's over, Gee," Frank rubbed, his eyes were tired but happy.

Fervently, Gerard twisted in his seat burying his face into Frank's, feeling the crackling of his dry lips press to his own. He felt energized with a new found freedom that Frank returned to him. It felt too big for words to explain but also that there was too much vernacular to express it. Their tongues touched in their own braille to describe everything all at once and it was novel. As they broke for a breath, Gerard noticed grey smudges on the bridge of Frank's nose, spreading down under his eye. Gerard giggled, bringing the pad of his thumb to his lips pulling it down the surface of his tongue. He circled the spots until they were scrubbed away. "What're you my mom?" Frank bunched his face up.

Gerard wiped his hand onto his pants and patted Frank on the cheek. Frank unclenched his face as his cheek pressed into Gerard's touch. "We should maybe move things into the house so my neighbors don't get creeped out by two guys mouth fucking in public." Gerard pulled his keys from his lap and moved to turn towards the door when Frank reached out and held his hips in place, the center counsel and gearshift between them still.