he hears the banging of howard's head against the metal of the car & maria's call for him   .  and then it stops   ─  it's stops but he can smell the faint trace of copper from outside his window  .   are they dead    ?   is he dead    ,   or is this all just another figment of his imagination    ?    maybe he's dreaming about one of the games he used to play with tony    ?    no    ,  this is real   .   way too real for his liking   .   he closes his eyes and pushes howard's seat minutes after hearing the motorcycle leave     ;     a sob being held back at the back of his throat    .  that's his mother     .   that was his mother     .    she's dead    ,   they're dead    .