The Amity Park Haunting

A Grave Mistake Part 1: A Fallen Hero

I stand around a coffin smashed between my mother and older sister, listening to the mayor give a eulogy for the former hero, Jason Baxter. Behind me, I can hear sniffling sounds and look up to see my father towering over me with tears dripping down his cheeks as he quietly sobs while my mother stands beside me clasping my arm, trying to prevent the tears from escaping her eyes, though they escape anyways, leaving trails of water down her cheeks. My sister stands strong on my opposite side, though it still seems to effect her as much as it does my parents, if her knitted eyebrows and clenched fists are any indication.

Me on the other hand, I can't quite explain why I don't feel the sadness that everyone around me does. The pillar of our community... Amity Park's protector... the Ghost Slayer... he's gone now. My parent's partner... the man who ate dinner with us on Saturday nights... my old friend's father... he's never coming back. And yet I can't feel anything. My gaze floats over the crowd, settling on the tall blonde haired boy who stands mere feet from the coffin, his father's body just inside the closed lid. Looking at his red puffy eyes, messy hair, and clasped hands, I feel my heart throb in my chest, an overwhelming sense of sympathy overcoming me.

Dash turns away, a new line of tear streaming down his face, when his eyes settle on our group, scanning the four of us before his eyes land on me, staring at me with a look I've never seen him wear before. His glassy eyes gaze into my own, confusion and heartbreak covering his expression as he slowly turns away from me and turns his gaze towards the ground, not looking up for the rest of the ceremony.

Mayor Montez wraps up his eulogy, which I completely tuned out, though I assume it talked about how Jason was a hero and he died a brave death protecting the city. That he will be dearly missed and the community will not be the same without him. That he is thankful for his service to the town. Hollow words from a man who saw Jason as a pillar of peace before a human being. After they've lowered the coffin into the ground and covered it with dirt, Dash steps forward, placing a small key chain on the dirt in front of the tombstone. As he drops it, I notice the bottom of it has a decorative X on it, the same one as the symbol his father wore when fighting ghosts, and can't help but wonder what the story behind it is, though I seriously doubt that Dash will ever tell me.

After the ceremony ends, most people file out of the cemetery, but Mayor Montez stays to talk with Dash, while my parents settle in front of the grave to leave flowers and mementos for their old partner. "Danny." Jazz tugs on my sleeve. "I'm gonna head to the car." She doesn't look at me as she speaks, instead staring after our parents, who grip each other in a tight embrace as they sob over his grave.

"Okay," I respond, watching her as she turns to leave, fully expecting that she will break down when she gets to the safety of the car. When I turn back around, I see that the Mayor and Dash have wrapped up their conversation, and I try to stop Dash to talk before he leaves. "Dash, wait." I step towards him, but he doesn't even look at me, his eyes no longer empty as they were before. "Dash..." He continues his march as he passes by me, narrowly missing the opportunity to shoulder check me like he always does. Dejected, I turn back towards my parents with a frustrated sigh, watching from afar as they talk with Montez. When they return to my side, we all walk in silence back towards the car. I slip into the back seat next to Jazz, whose eyes are rimmed red and her sleeves covered in tear stains, but I don't say a word as we drive solemnly back towards the house.

The next day, I wake up early to help make breakfast, whipping up some blueberry pancakes for the family, when Jazz descends the stairs and wanders into the kitchen, chasing the smell of my cooking. "You're up?" She asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "I woke up an hour ago and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to help mom and dad." Jazz comes up and rubs my head, while snagging a handful of blueberries.