The Men Who Died

The Men Who Died: XIX (Part 2)

The Young Man's expression of shock and awe remained as he watched the Driver sink to one knee before the girl and wrap her in his slim and jointed arms. His suit contorted awkwardly, with the seams of his tight but formal victorian style dress pants spreading at the stitch of his angled knee caps. The girl, who held the Driver with a compassionate squeeze of her own, wore something more or less the opposite to both of the men's apparel; a blue sundress that draped over her nimble shoulders. It barely met the gentle scrape of her slightly curled, darkish red hair.

The gap in the Young Man's mouth grew slightly. He was reminded to carry on with his task when the Driver and girl parted and their gazes drifted to him. At the sight of two patient pairs of eyes on him, he shut the Hearse's door with a thrust of his arm and remained in position. The Driver rose to his fullest stance, continuing to look at the Young Man.

"My friend,' he spoke calmly with a soothing and slightly inviting tone, 'come here and be so kind to introduce yourself to our most welcome soul." Another moment passed before the Young Man approached the two. Fixating his eyes on the girl who, like the Driver, met his presence with an eager smile. Walking within a few feet of her, with the Driver standing just a foot to her right, the Young Man knelt as his superior had and removed his cap like he was greeting royalty, and smiled himself.

"Hello," he said calmly, 'and welcome. I was not informed who would be arriving today. But may I say I am splendidly surprised to know that it was you." The Young Man posed a welcoming expression through his tone and body language, but remained in an internal state of bewilderment at the event as it continued to unfold. This was reinforced by the girl suddenly stepping forward and securing him in a hug. His heart was further torn at the sound of her voice.

"Thank you, mister. I never thought I'd meet such nice men when my time came. Daddy always told me I'd go somewhere so lovely I may rather stay there than on Earth itself. After meeting such kind fella's like you and your friend, I can say i'm going to really like it here." She spoke with an intellectual tone that was saturated in contained excitement. The Young Man was entranced by it, and was unable to respond for the next few minutes.

His cap was pinned between him and the girl as he held it to his heart upon taking it off. With his other hand he gently rested it against the space between her small but developed shoulder blades. A yearning had sprouted the moment the girl clung to the Young Man, a near irresistible urge to lift her from the damp soil layered over a Buried and hoist her above his head. It was so sudden a spread of want and desire, his eyes gave way to a flood of pent up tears that streamed past his widened eyelids.

Sealing them just a second after the forerunning gush escaped and now drenched the lower half of his face, the Young Man carefully rose from his crouched position, slowly enough to indicate to the girl she may let go of him. She understood and slid her arms from around his neck, stepping back a foot to allow him room to stand. He palmed his now clenched eyes and the bridge of his soaked nose and released a single exhale through gritted teeth, hoping to cease his unprofessional reaction as quick as possible.

Wiping his cheeks, nostrils and lips with both the back and palm of his left hand, he managed to rid his face of the uncommon (unwanted) sensation with a few swipes and brushes. Something that had been cast away into the depths of his being for decades had just surfaced at the sight and touch of innocence that pierced the endless void that was the Yard. Now confident he could withhold any further outbursts, the Young Man returned his gaze to the girl, who was accompanied by the Driver still.

"Oh no sweetheart, you are not staying here," the Driver said, and the eyes of both the girl and Young Man were lifted towards his, 'my friend will take you to where you belong. And when you go, remember this, it will be your eternity, yours." The Driver spoke directly to the girl with her interest in mind, but the Young Man's attention was held by his words. "By that I mean your eternity is far beyond this dark and confining place. It is a wondrous land made especially for you, what you want it to be. Hence, why it is YOUR eternity."