The pyre burned brightly slowly turning the remains of Lieutenant Davis Togl’s body into ash. It was a large pit, normally used for all soldiers fallen in recent battle, but today was a rare occasion where only one deceased was being honored, making the proceedings appear more in line with an ordinary funeral. For those in the army, they would show the same respect whether it was one or one hundred, but I couldn’t help but hope that his singular send off would leave a stronger impression of his memory in their hearts. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t see him in the same light as any of the random soldiers and wished to see that sentiment reflected in the people around me.

  But these weren’t men who would fall into grief over a single loss but instead accept that loss with solemnity and that was reflected in the dirge being performed before us. A man was playing a strange instrument that consisted of an accordion like bag with the mouthpiece of a wind instrument attached and buttons and wind holes along the side. The buttons expanded and retracted the bag while holding different holes changed the note like a normal wind instrument. It was known as an echopipe and it made eerie and deep whistling that painted nostalgic unreachable fantasy. The song spoke of a path trodden to its end and of those who walked behind forging the same path farther still before joining the sleep of the fallen.

  In my head I transcribed my own lyrics perverting their meaning. It was something I had normally only done in the ether ways, and I felt shame at the disrespect it showed, but the words flowed unbidden in my mind, nonetheless.

  Oh demon oh demon your smile is round

  As you plant your blood seeds into the ground

  They grow into orchards of bountiful death

  Growing limbs, blood, and brains you’d take from the rest

  Because it can’t live it will never weep

  Planted to wilt as we’re born just to sleep

  I nearly burst into a fit of hysterical and inappropriate laughter but bit my lip to stop myself. It must have looked like I was wincing because the grip around my hand tightened. She had taken it unasked, but I had never shaken it off. I looked at her face that held the same slight smile she had carried even into the ether ways, but there was a hint of uncertainty in it I hadn’t seen before. I smiled reassuringly at her, wearing a mask of healing and hiding the fact I felt no comfort from her warmth. Her fragile grip only squeezed pins and needles into my own hand.

  “He was a good man.”

  “Aye”

  I had learned something new of her. She had shown cheer even in the disease ridden camp and the depths of the ether ways, but when faced with a situation where pep was truly inappropriate, she became silent and uncomfortable. It was as if she was hesitant to step on some unknown trap that would collapse the world around her. It was as if being unable to approach a situation with a smile, she was unable to approach it at all.

  She had said few words in the past few days but had also haunted me constantly, always ready to offer short words and comfort I couldn’t feel. She had been showing this slight soft kindness to everyone, but I couldn’t help but realize she had been focusing the majority of her doting on myself and in my weakness, I did nothing to disillusion her of the bond forming between us. After all I had made a promise. I had meant it as a lie, but I couldn’t lie to a dead man. But..

  “You’ve got her completely fooled, Douglass.”

  The mangled lipless mouth spoke to me in my imagination, and my vision became filled with spotted lights. I nearly shivered, but I managed to keep my cool.

  I was no longer under any illusion that Karen was anything but a kind and whimsical woman. Any paranoia I might have felt towards her character had been more than overwritten by the horror of the demon possessed, but it didn’t matter. I still felt the same chill of discomfort towards her and her smile that I did when I first saw her.

  I had to bury it. I had to bury that discomfort and see her beyond it, just as Bennie wanted. It will be fine. She had no idea what was lurking in my heart before, and I didn’t believe she would be able to tell now either. Eventually…eventually I believed I would be able to look into her emerald eyes in the same way I stared into the splotches. The horror would roll right off me made mundane by repetition.

  Beside us Thomas’ gaunt face stared into the flames that flickered over Davis Togl’s remains. I knew that, like with us, for him Togl wasn’t alone in that fire. He was accompanied by the ghost of Benjamin Kartwhyle…and the ghost of Raechel Rijtferd.

  The news had no impact on me. My senses were too dull, and it was just another dead scrubber in the world of decay I had sunken into. I don’t know if it had happened before or after Bennie’s death, but he hadn’t been the only scrubber killed that night. Along with Raechel, two more from the carriage that had split off from us had perished along with three soldiers. Terry Gutberg had already been cremated in the camp previous to Thomas’ arrival. Bennie and Rachel wouldn't be burned with them. Their bodies were to be carried to Duskhovel and Vealt respectively for their own funerals. I wished they could have just been thrown into that flame to spare their bodies a second more of desecration.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Mr. Grillmin had been with her in that camp when the demon possessed struck. He had not actually seen the ghastly man or the demons he walked with, but he had been the one to discover Raechel’s mutilated corpse just as I had found Bennie. When he arrived at camp, he was no less scarred than I was, and I have yet to see a hint of his normal sarcasm or boisterous behavior.

  “You know…she actually reminded me a bit of my mah. She was a naggy old bat, but…she wasn’t so bad you know?”

  “She can be with her husband now, just like in the song. She walked this far so she could find her rest with him.”

  “Yea…”

  He wiped the sleeve of his shirt over his runny nose. It was a standard military outfit. We had all worn one along with a ceremonial cap we were given to wear to the funeral. It was the same grey as the uniform and had a sandwiched disk shape. As the echopipe player came to a stop we all threw the caps in with the rest of the army.

  Immediately afterwords everyone gathered began walking away as if they were leaving an assembly. The ordinariness of it felt wrong to me and I remained standing listlessly.

  Karen took my other hand and pressed her forehead into me. The intimacy of it pained me, but I managed to gently rest my chin on top of her head in response.

  “Cmon, Douglass. Let’s go get ourselves something to eat. We can’t let ourselves starve and its only a few hours until our carriage back to Duskhovel.”

  I take my chin off her head and rub it reassuringly as my hand erupts in static tingles of anxiety. Wordlessly the three of us line up in the kitchen for a plate of ham and mash potatoes and find seats among the subdued soldiers.

  “A quiet cafeteria feels wrong to me.”

  Thomas mutters while picking at his mashed potatoes with a fork.

  “What do you two plan to do going forward?”

  It was the first words of substance I had offered in days. My first attempt to drive a conversation.

  Thomas ate silently for a moment before he spoke up to answer.

  “I’ll stay in Duskhovel for a couple weeks and then I’m going to ask about being transferred to Vealt. I have nothing real for me back in Mapleboro. It was just a bachelor’s life of carousing. I want to take over for the empty spot Rachel left. It might be just the same no matter where I do it but…I don’t know, it just feels right to me.”

  He finished speaking and continued eating, leaving us to digest his words as he did his food. Since he answered that made it Karen’s turn.

  “I..”

  The words seemed to catch in her throat for a second.

  “I…similarly, I’d like to be transferred to Duskhovel…if that would…? I mean, my life in Monderlow it was…it wouldn’t be an issue.”

  I could see the unasked question in her eyes. She didn’t want to presume at replacing Bennie.

  “I’d like that.”

  I smiled reassuringly at her. This is right, isn’t it Bennie? This is what you wanted? I found myself slightly interested in her words concerning her life at Monderlow despite myself.

  “You don’t have people waiting for you back home?”

  The words felt off on my tongue. Taking a certain way, it could be seen as me showing interest. I know that is the goal I should be pursuing, but I wasn’t ready to be so overt. Luckily, she didn’t seem to read it as such.

  “I have a sister, Paula. We’re close, I even made time for a quick nap in the ether ways to use them normally on days we’ve been working when the situation would allow it. We’re close but…in a lot of ways it’s better if we’re apart.”

  She smiled as always, as if talking about something that couldn’t be helped. I sensed that it was something I should ask after. I sensed in her smile that maybe she wanted me to pry just a bit more, but I didn’t have the will in me for anymore questions. I may have nodded, or I may have given a curt polite response. I no longer recall.

  We finished our meal with little else said and only an hour later we were gathered beside the same carriage that had brought us to this camp and would carry us back to Duskhovel shortly. Many familiar faces we had grown accustomed to seeing during our short days in their camp were gathered, but among them was one completely unfamiliar face. His uniform was a bright orange, and his cap was red. He had far more pins on his coat than even the highest ranking officer I had seen at this camp. He carried a snapfume, a device that combusted powder with an impact to send a trail of smoke into the sky. It was used by scouts and in parades and looking at him, I imagined he used it for both.

  I had never seen one, but the appearance of his uniform told me he was a royal guard of Monderlow. He marched straight up to me with a stiff posture and narrowly creased eyes.

  “Are you Douglass Draemin, the scrubber hailing from Duskhovel.”

  I nodded my head, too confused to add any question of my own.

  “We’ve been told of your experience with the sleepwalker. Your presence has been requested at the capital, but we are also sympathetic to your…situation.”

  He paused a bit. I’m assuming it would look bad if they dragged me to the capital without giving me time to grieve. I couldn’t understand what they wanted regardless. Even if I saw the demon possessed, I couldn’t do anything but give the same account I gave to the army.

  “So instead of sending a missive over the ether ways I, Colonel Ray Timfeil, will be acting as your guard for the interim of a month and then escorting you to Monderlow.”

  He eyed the rest of us.

  “All scrubbers that had been dispatched to the front lines will be asked to attend as well.”

  As he strode away into the carriage, Thomas uneasily scratched his head.

  “Guess I’ll be with ya’ll longer than just a couple weeks.”

  He sauntered into the carriage in obvious confusion. Karen hesitated then took my hand.

  “Me as well it looks like. It will be alright Douglass, let’s just worry about tomorrow for now.”

  Once again, my hand stung and my eyes watered with what to her must look like warmth. We joined the rest and started off the same trip we made not so long ago, but at a much slower pace and with far more uncertainty hanging over us than we had that day we were rushed out of town.