✓ DYING MOURNINGS, original

twenty-five : why should anything die? i want to live. i want to love.

┌─────━┿──┿━─────┐

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐈𝐄?

𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧.

└─────━┿──┿━─────┘

My home had always seemed to be the first grave to me. It was where my first ghost appeared, where my mother had taken her life, and where my father's own spirit continued to haunt through blood and whispers. But it wasn't the first grave, not really. It might've been a cemetery, filled with memories as many seem to be. Still, it wasn't where all of this had truly started and now where it all must end.

The barn was the first grave, shallow and filled to the brim with souls.

So many souls, in fact, that it felt like we were all drowning in them. I could feel the energy humming under my skin as I watched John pace back and forth as we waited for Crow's arrival. Still, even amongst humans, I could still feel the anxious energy of the ghosts waiting to either be used or to be set free from whatever trapped them with me now. A soft hum that burned the closer they got to me, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck raising. They were being called to me, they knew the end was here even if I chose not to believe it.

But I believed it now. I knew the end was coming and as terrified as I was, it was nice knowing that the people I loved would be safe, even if I doomed the world without a necromancer. Yeah, I wasn't sure how I was going to fix that, but I could only hope the balance the universe always burned and killed for would bring out a new necromancer after I'm gone.

"He's here," came a shout from outside.

"To your feet, ghost girl," muttered Conner, heaving me up by the arm. "Better be on your best behavior or we might start slicing before the moon's at its peak." He let his disgusting hand trail down my back before shoving me forward so hard I nearly fell to my knees as the love of my life was brought in with two men on either of his sides. "Welcome to the butcher's block, Archer! Just in time to get a glimpse of our freshest cut of the day."

Crow was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. I hated that, even in this moment, I found him devastating to the eyes. That was my only comfort. His eyes scanned my face, looking for anything, but there was nothing he could do.

"Hiya, bossman," said John, a little too gleefully as he came in from the barn doors leading to the corn field. "You bring what we asked for?"

Crow nodded, slipping his hand into his jacket. He pulled a small knife free from the inside pocket and presented it to John. When John took it, he inspected it by holding it above his head as if some phantom light would reflect against the blade and show him something he couldn't see. Instead, he lowered it, shrugged, then drove the knife into the gut of the man beside Crow.

Golden light immediately erupted from his eyes and mouth as he dropped to his knees and then to his side. John didn't seem phased nor did Conner, as John kicked the body with his foot. "Huh. Messy cleanup, but effective." He handed the knife over to Conner and wiped his hands on his pants, as if they were dirty. "Now that I know you're faithful, let's get down to business."

He waved his hand and I was seized from behind. Two men, who'd come out of nowhere, took me by one arm and the back of the neck. The one not holding my arm, tucked me against his chest and the hand against my neck circled until the crook of his elbow was choking me back. The one holding my arm peeled my fingers apart for Conner to take hold of my pinkie.