Exhumation

chapter 1: resurrection

The pulsing, gyrating music reaches her before she reaches it. Casey rubs her hands up and down her arm in a fleeting attempt to keep warm. She is inflicted by the cool air nipping against her exposed skin and the omnipresent chill lingering at the back of her neck. There is no escaping the chill.

The drizzling rain stopped some hour ago, but puddles still glisten the neon lights of the city off the pavement. Including the light of The Spider's sign. A bouncer at the door IDs her, which usually happens for her slender figure and small demeanor. Then, she slips inside and disappears into the horde of dancing bodies.

Gillian cranks off the grumbly old pick up truck and pushes the door open. Hopping down and pushing the door shut, he pulls out his phone.

Oscar Brahman (10:23 P.M.): Gills, where are you?

Gillian Grey (10:26 P.M.): On my way in.

He slips the phone back into his pocket, as he approaches the bouncer, who lets him by without question. His phone vibrates, but he ignores it, knowing it's a fruitless "Okay." For a moment, the pulse of the strobe lights disorients him, but his eyes settle. He is approaching the bar when he runs into her. Literally.

The fruity drink Casey doesn't want falls from her hands. When she looks up, the man has his hands in his hair. And it's him. God, it's him.

Gillian, clumsy as ever, trips over his words, "Oh, cr- dear goodn- I'm so, so sorry." His eyes dart around looking anywhere but at her. "Here, I'll get you another drink."

Casey nods mutely, because what else can she do? He's here.

Gillian continues his approach to the bar, hoping she's following him because he sure as hell won't look back.

She follows him, intrigued by the way he carries himself, as if the world was a kingdom and he was the king.

Gillian's phone vibrates, again. He pulls it out as he sits down at an open stool. She sits down next to him. He glances down.

Oscar Brahman (10:28 P.M.): Where the bloody hell are you? Isabelle is getting worked up.

Casey is totally not reading the text. Totally. What do you expect, when someone sets it down right in front of you? When she stops snooping, Gillian is staring at her. She smiles like the world hasn't been turned inside out.

Gillian breaks his stare awkwardly and clears his throat a little too loudly. "What was it you had to drink?"

Casey looks strangely at him, "It doesn't matter, Gillian." He seems shocked that she remembers his name. "Can we just-you know-talk somewhere?"

Gillian bites his lip. "Yeah, sure. One second." Out comes the phone, and he finally responds.

Gillian Grey (10:31 P.M.): Tell her she'll have to be patient longer. I've got a delay.

Oscar Brahman (10:31 P.M.): What could be important enough to delay the date I got for you?

Gillian sighs and smiles at Casey. Casey. "Um, follow me, I guess." He leads the way out of the bar and to his truck.

That truck. Casey can't believe he still has it. After he unlocks it, she climbs into the passenger side and shuts the door. The music fades, and she is overwhelmed by memories. Memories she locked away for so long.

Gillian is nervous. He darts his eyes over to Casey and tries to begin, "So..." But there is no easy way to approach what he knows she wants to talk about. "Wow."

"Wow is right."

Her voice still has the musical charm that makes you believe everything she has to say. His voice is choked and drowning in emotion. "I'm sorry." The air stills. There is no breathing. No sounds reverberating through the air. It is still. Gillian breaks it first. "Not for the drink-well, yes. But I'm sorry for everything."

"I've already forgiven you," she exhales.

Gillian furrows his eyebrows. "Oh," he pauses, "Then, what did you want to talk about?"

Casey swallows the lump in her throat. "Nothing in particular. It would just feel like a crime not to talk to you."

"Listen, Casey." He stops and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "I would love to talk and catch up, but I was supposed to meet some friends here."

The chill returns. Winter is breathing fear down her neck, and she's terrified. "Yeah, I understand. Do you want to exchange numbers, so we can work something out?"

Gillian nods, and they pull out their phones, exchanging the link they had lost.

Casey tries to open the door, but Gillian finds himself asking, "Do you need a ride?"

"I walked. I can fend for myself."

Gillian laughs a light chuckle, but he still responds. "Seriously, I'll give you a ride. Who knows when it will start raining or a murderer will jump you?"

Casey couldn't take it. She gave him her 'Seriously?' face, but she shuts the door back. Shutting the door to the cold, but still feeling it all around her.

"Where to?"

Casey gives him directions to her apartment.

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author's note: so, i'll work on my other story at some point, but i currently have a lot of muse for this one. enjoy!