Rise of a Queen

Chapter 37

We stood in a line, facing the cemetery, but none of us had the courage to take that first step.

    Toby had been taken back to my father who was sporting a newly readjusted nose and one hell of a bruise. Doc had given him a sedative to keep him cooperative while we were gone. And because Toby would be lacking proper adult supervision, he was preoccupied with an extended version of The Lion King until we returned, courtesy of Eli who has really taken a liking to my brother.

    I didn't want Toby to see me so weak, so I had Eli deliver a brief message that I would stop by later to say goodnight. Hopefully, Toby would already be asleep by the time we returned from the Crypt.

    "Ready?" Dustin asked us all.

    None of us agreed, because none of us were ready for what was about to happen.

    My hand slid into his and our fingers locked together. On his other side, Lumiere let out a long and dreadful sigh, "Let's do this."

    Like puppets on a string we all stepped forward as one and we entered the Tribal graveyard on the same stride.

    As always, the graveyard was lively despite the late hour. Whether it be the full moon moving in and out of cloud cover or the sporadic flashes from dancing fireflies, the graveyard seemed to pulse; a common heartbeat amongst every plant, animal, and stone marker. The ground felt softer underfoot, the creek babbled louder, the graves stood straighter. Before our very eyes, the area swelled on a draft of newfound excitement and it milked the resting souls for remaining sustenance in order to satisfy the thrill of anticipating a King's inauguration.

    This unholy place of death was reacting to Dustin's arrival.

    Welcoming a lost soul home.

    We neared the stone arch where a particular gargoyle was alerted to our entrance. Dustin was the first to pass under and he bowed in respect of the creature above. I was astounded to see that the stone guardian did not appear as grizzly as all the times before. It's pointed ears developed a soft curve, it's talons lost the point of their sharp edge, and the teeth sticking out from it's usual grimace now seemed to further accentuate the grin on it's rock face.

    I scurried after Dustin and hoped that by entering with someone of his rank, my presence would also be accepted. Two by two, the rest of our group followed and we trailed in a gloomy procession towards the heart of the graveyard.

    Our path was brightened by the moon overhead and it dribbled the landscape in dreamy hues of pastel blue and shimmering silver. Despite the dread that was rooted so deeply into every acre of this cemetery, the scenery was lovely and inviting. Calm.

    Around the world, calamity carried on; wars raged, sickness spread, fires destroyed. But this small piece of land was vacant of that chaos.

    Here, all was quiet.

    Several shadows darted behind a looming object and that particular plot caught my gaze. Two thinly draped skeletons on either side of a grand marker, carved intricately with the names of Sam's parents. The dirt was still freshly disturbed from where they had been buried only days before and spikes of grass were just beginning to push through. Those two skeletons signified their eternal union in the afterlife and I had to remind myself the grave marker was meant as a sign of affection for those resting below, and not a horrifyingly accurate configuration of the beast I haven't dreamt of for so long.

    The skeletal figures greeted our arrival with empty eyes and skinless smiles, beckoning me forward with boney fingers that called to me and drew us near. If it weren't for Dustin's tight grip, I would have wandered off the path and into their clutches, either to mourn or to perish.