So Long, Not Goodnight

Chapter Fourteen

Frank bolted out of his dreamless sleep feeling the firm floor beneath him. The room was dark and felt empty. His hand wandered up the bedside and felt the bare sheets cold to the touch. Gerard was gone, but where to? Frank's adrenaline pumped through him, springing to his feet in search. The door to the hall was wide open and the pulpit silent and undisturbed. Glass eyes shined down on him as headlights slid through passing from his feet to the steps up the altar. His eyes following the path and noticed a soft orange glow from the back room. "Gerard!" Frank screeched as he jumped up the stairs and ran down the short corridor. 

The door slammed shut and he heard the lock click from the knob. Gripping the handle, he twisted and turned so roughly his knuckles glowed white from force in the blackness. The light in the room flickered from the crack beneath the door. As his right hand jostled at the lock, his left banged on the wood panels. "Gerard!" He shouted once more. "Gerard! Let me in!"

There came no sound or reply from the opposite side, but the flames still trembled and bled through the cracks. Frank gave up on the lock, took a step back, and kicked at the jamb. Once, twice, three times and with the final fourth kick, the latch splintered open from the frame, hanging from it's hinge like a tooth hanging from bloody pulp. The door swung open to the candles surrounding Gerard on his back, left foot tucked beneath the knee of his extended right leg, staring at the ceiling unblinking. His right arm made an L shape reaching above his head and his left was lying straight at his side. Both palms face up and both hands stretching their pointer and middle fingers flush against the floor.

Frank could see the rise and fall of his chest so rapidly, he was afraid Gerard was hyperventilating. He was just so thankful he was breathing. Then he noticed the large cut embedded in his already bloodied throat. The knife was just out of reach of his right hand as was the offering bowl which was brimming with a dark syrup. Frank reached out and dipped a few fingers into the sludge, it was cold and thick and was sticky as his fingers rubbed together. He slowly raised his head to the adjacent wall of the angels and cherubs. "Jesus fucking Christ."

Frank's hand fell to his side and his feet pulled him closer to the mural. All of the eyes that once looked down at their observers were x-ed out in red and right below the frame were four words written in red. As above so below. The W was attached to a blurry red trail leading all the way to the wainscoting that bordered the floor. Frank's eyes traced the floor back to where Gerard lay and noticed a circle of wax around him and a pentagram of hardened wax forming the center right where his spine struck. Frank found his breaths coming and going matching Gerard's pace. "Gerard!" Frank found himself shouting as his knees buckled and brought him to his feet. 

"Gerard!" He was shaking at his shoulders, noticing the whites of his eyes visible in flashes as his eyelids fluttered.

"Gerard!" Frank choked trying to hold back his sobs as his eyes began to run.

Gerard's hands began to shake and the tremors spread from muscle to muscle, a wildfire beneath beginning to spread. His tendons quaked and his chest rose inches from the floor. Frank crawled up and held his head in his hands feeling a force climb through Gerard as he fell back to the ground, eyes roiling in their sockets. Gerard leaned into Frank's hands, his chin pulled up towards the ceiling and pulling his neck and vertebrae with it. As he stretched and tugged, Frank could see the gash pull apart from itself and begin to weep. Frank broke free from his hold and pulled his shirt over his neck and arms and sopped up the fresh blood and pushed down with a gentle force, trying to staunch the bleeding. "Gerard! Stop! Please! Stay with me!" He couldn't stop his tears. "I need you, baby. Please! Stay with me!"

From somewhere far away, those words garbled and distant, drummed delicately into Gerard. His ghostboy was calling to him. He needed him, too. What was happening? He was right... Here. Suddenly, he didn't know where he was, but he needed to find Frank. In this blinding light, he followed the sound of Frank's cries. "Gerard! Fuck!"