𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 | the boys 1

xiii. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍

~𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩, 𝙎𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙄𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚, 𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬~

Butcher gave her another small glance as the car passed the cemetery gates and saw her face extremely close to the window. It was comparable to that first night, when they were together - about to save Hughie from Translucent. Then he realised that night felt like years ago.

Sure, she had changed since then but he, in Rowan's eyes, had stayed exactly the same. Billy Butcher had remained the sarcastic smartass who winked at her whenever he made a joke that everyone else refused to encourage and nudged her until she retaliated and they ended up childishly hitting each other with flailing arms. Usually, that was how adults used to behave around her, but something about it was different. For instance, he (barely) managed to retain a smile in their hand-slapping matches, he seemed as if he was genuinely determined to win them.

The car wobbled over uneven grass and rocks on the gravel path which trailed down to a large clearing, surrounded by rows upon rows of stones sticking up from the ground. The sky was dull and gloomy - as if it was waiting for something to happen whether it be glorious rays of sunshine or sickening cracks of thunder.

For just a few seconds, the both of them watched the peaceful sway of the trees scattered amongst gravestones. Butcher scanned over her once more before nodding to himself and gruffly pulling himself out of his seat, bringing his mallet along with him.

Lips pressed together, Rowan watched him march out of sight and carefully cracked open the car door. It swung open quite swiftly, taking a small dip at the end. She was counting on the fact he believed she hated it here, given her earlier reaction. It wasn't true, she didn't hate this neighbourhood. But should he enquire further, she would most likely craft some lie in her head.

Slipping off her shoes and letting them dange from the laces, she allowed the dew clinging to the grass seeped between her toes and relieve an ache in her feet. Most of the headstones appeared the same - the classic curved shape. Occasionally, she would pass a daunting marble cross, treading silently over dozens of graves. It didn't take her long to come across four bodies buried apart from the rest, closer to the back. The pair on the outside were considerably larger. It was a family burial.

Gingerly, she crouched and read one of the smaller stones, second from the left. 'Rowan A. Fields, Beloved Daughter and Sister. Killed by Home Intruders - Aged Seven.'

It had been a hot minute since she'd seen her own name in print. The letters in front of her restored memories of writing her name down on worksheets at school in her purple pen. Her books had usually stuck out from the rest of the class - lilac and messy. The shock of it brought her to the ground, along with the faded scenes of earlier life lingering somewhere in her head just out of reach.

'Dylan D. Fields, Beloved Father and Husband. Killed by Home Intruders - Aged Thirty-eight.'

'Alice L. Fields, Beloved Mother and Wife. Killed by Home Intruders - Aged Thirty-seven.'

A gasp caught in her throat - hardly daring to read the last one as tears filled her eyes. She had to force her breaths in and out of her lungs she had so much will to drop dead at that very moment. What a treasure it would be, to read those words and collapse into the void of existence. But she remained, very much on Earth.

'Titan J. Fields, Beloved Son and Brother. Killed By Home Intruders - Aged Thirteen.'

She had nothing to clench in her hands as her jaw tightened so hard her teeth ached, ground against each other and tried to console her screams of pure fury. Instead, Rowan wrapped her arms and legs around her brothers tombstone for as long as she had the strength, tensing up every muscle in her body before exhaustion got the better of her and she was forced to fall back onto the ground and rip up the grass in her balled fists, letting out an awful, blood-boiling scream of raw rage. The amanic, animalistic noise made the trees tremble, shook the ground itself and rattled Hell's gates open.