Autumn is a beautiful but pensive poem that falling leaves recite with great enthusiasm so that the world will remember them as they bid farewell to the world. Welcome to my anthology series. Welcome to EQUINOX.
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They never forgot the body they found when they were kids.
It had been twenty years but that image endured in their minds.
Will, Jax, and Cole sat on the railroad bridge with their legs dangling over the river beneath. Just like they did when they were young.
They sat in their exact formation, but there was a noticeable gap between Will and Cole.
Jude used to fill that space. He was the reason why they had all reunited.
It was the day of his funeral.
--
In middle school, Jude singlehandedly took on Wayne Trotter, the school bully who had tormented them for years.
He got his ass beat. But that was JUDE. Always standing up against the opposition despite the odds.
It's what made him a natural leader and why people just naturally gravitated toward him. Though Jude was protective, he had a distinct kindness underneath the rough exterior.
One evening, when Will ran away from home, it was Jude that found and consoled him.
"Yeah, your stepdad's a prick. But you got something special in you, man. You're braver than you realize and you're stronger than you let on. You might not see it but I do", Jude told him, wrapping his arms around his friend, "And that's how I know, you'll be okay."
Jude was the anchor, the peacemaker, the fearless leader that gave the boys a second home amongst each other.
"We're all gonna get out of this town," he told the boys one afternoon.
And they eventually did. Well, most of them would.
--
Rumors had flown around homeroom that Hugo was missing. Hugo was a strange kid and would often wander randomly on his own by the creek, as if to satisfy some inner curiosity that the running water could dilute. He didn't talk much but he was a good kid.
Knowing Hugo was gone, bothered Jude immensely. He couldn't reconcile with the idea that a kid was out there somewhere, all alone.
And so, he got the boys together for a special search mission.
It was early November so they bundled up in scarves, hats, and hoodies. They trekked up the creek all day and they were about to give up when Cole called them over.
"Guys....", said Cole, as he pointed to a sneaker near the river bank.
And there it was. Right in front of them. Stiff. Pale. Motionless. Hollow. Half-naked.
--
Something changed in Jude that day. He had a new sense of self that would carry him to places that no one, not even his friends, could follow.
Over the years, the four friends started to see each other less and less.
Sure, they'd say hi to each other in the halls but they weren't as close as they were before.
When high school graduation rolled around, Jude thought he'd rally the group one last time at the railroad bridge.
"Fellas, the world of tomorrow has finally arrived," said Jude, passing around Budweisers, "Cheers. When you're out there kicking ass, don't forget me"
--
Will saw it on the news first: Local SVU detective gunned down chasing suspect down alley.
He didn't have to wait for further details to know the detective in question was Jude.
Within an hour, Will's phone was pinging with texts and phone calls.
But all he could do was lay down and stare at the ceiling. Tears flowed down his face.
--
The sun was peeking over the mountains as Will walked alongside the abandoned train tracks. Red and gold leaves were scattered everywhere as his feet crunched over them. It was late afternoon yet somehow it felt like...dawn.
He recalled the time when him and the boys laid down on the tracks waiting for a train, seeing who would chicken out and retreat first. Will softly chuckled.
Up ahead was an old bridge with two figures looming over it.
As he got closer, one of them looked up.
"It's about damn time," Cole said, "What took you so long?"
"Sorry, I took the scenic route. Just wanted to take it all in once more before I go", Will replied.
The second figure walked toward him.
"How much time do you have?" asked Jax.
"Not long", said Will.
Will, Jax, and Cole sat on the railroad bridge with their legs dangling over the river beneath. Just like they did when they were young.
The men watched the water flow below them, saying how beautiful the service was and reminiscing about the town and the people they once knew.
Jax looked at his watch and stood up. It was time to go.
The three friends walked back along the railroad tracks, passing by familiar fields, hills, houses, and streetlights.
The neighborhood kids were having a race. They glowed under the last remnants of daylight.
Will, Jax, and Cole watched the kids as they raced further and further ahead, disappearing into the sunset, as if hurrying to meet somewhere secret where they would stay how they were forever. A place beyond the horizon, where all the woes of the world were nothing but dust in the wind.
