Dead End >> c.h au

EPILOGUE

        The joint funeral for Lucas Robert Hemmings, age 18, Ashton Fletcher Irwin, age 20, and Michael Gordon Clifford, age 18, will be held today. The boys were killed in Chicago, Illinois early last week--

                Calum couldn’t bear to read the rest. He had seen countless headlines and news broadcasts. He had been interviewed more times than he ever could have wanted. He tossed the paper to the floor and looked up at his beautiful girlfriend standing before him.

                “I just feel like everyone will get mad at us for being disrespectful or something,” Sally protested. She looked herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a Raphael costume, hers and Ashton's favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Luke had requested on the road trip that they attend his funeral this way, so the two of them obliged.

                “Luke wanted us to,” Calum said.

                Sally sighed. “I don’t even want to go,” she mumbled. Calum came up behind her and kissed her head gently.

                “Me neither,” he said honestly. “But we have to.”

                “I miss them so fucking much,” Sally said. A tear rolled down her cheek silently. Calum rushed to wipe it away and pulled her until she was facing him.

                “I do, too,” he said softly. “But I know for a fact that Ashton would whip your ass for crying over him right now.”

                Sally giggled. “Yeah, I know. And then he’d light a cigarette and walk away with his head in the air and that little hip wiggle,” she joked.

                “And Luke would just be killing himself laughing, being no help to anyone,” Calum added.

                “And then Michael would tell us to stop being fucking idiots and move on with our lives,” Sally realized. She sighed. “We’re gonna be okay.”

                Calum nodded. “Yeah, we are,” he said and kissed her lovingly. “I love you, Sally.”

                “I love you, too,” she replied.

***

                The funeral service was easier to handle than Sally thought it would be. Stories were swapped, memories were shared, and jokes were told. Everyone loved their costumes. They all knew that the boys would have loved them, too.

                Calum and Sally stayed behind the longes, even after the boys’ parents had left. They took their shells off and leaned against a tree that was near the grave sites as the sun set. She leaned her head on Calum’s shoulder and listened to him hum her favourite song. Other than Calum’s voice, it was entirely silent.

                “You didn’t think you could get rid of us that easily, did you?” Sally heard a voice joke.

                Sally leapt to her feet and looked towards the sound in disbelief. It couldn’t be…

                “Ashton?” Sally choked.

                “Holy shit guys,” Calum cried.

                Sally stared ahead of her in awe; standing before her were her three best friends. They flickered precariously, like they weren’t entirely there. They smiled. Ashton had a cigarette between his lips.

                “Those things are gonna kill you, you know,” she laughed through her tears. Ashton chuckled.

                “Welcome home,” Calum said genuinely. He looked his best friends over and smiled wider than he ever had. He took Sally’s hand and they walked towards them.

                The five of them had been through hell, and two of them had made it out. The hotel was more terrifying than any horror movie could have prepared them for. They had to deal with losing their best friends, the people they cared about most. It seemed like nothing would be okay ever again; yet here they were, back home, walking side-by-side, exactly where they belong.  

____________________________________________________________________

A/N

here's an epilogue because closure is a thing ;) i love you all and i hope you enjoyed this story as much as i did. keep doing you <3