The Crow

XI: It's not death if you refuse it

The crow flew back down to perch gently on Eric's shoulder as he walked down the debris-laden sidewalk, his hands idly wandering over the top part of his chest as if feeling for the wounds that had only freshly healed some time ago. His senses were finally coming back to him – he'd killed the last of the gang that killed him. He didn't need to be here anymore, as far as he knew.

He was done.

Eric leaned against the metal support of a nearby building, shedding away the leather trenchcoat and tossing it away as the crow flew onto the roof. "I'm coming home, Shelly", he sighed, bowing his head. He was done.
Yet he felt empty inside, as if his whole reason for being here was now gone. His mission was accomplished, and yet…he had nothing to show for it now.

Then he heard a sound that, for so long, had been foreign to him: the sound of children laughing. Behind his closed eyelids, he also saw the wavering beams of flashlights. He lifted his head and opened his eyes to see a group of five kids, dressed in the Halloween costumes of skeletons and witches, running toward him and laughing with joy. Eric hadn't heard nor seen any kids since the first Devil's Night fires he'd witnessed, but hearing them now seemed like the most welcome sound he could have ever heard, aside from Shelly's voice.

He let out a laugh of his own as the kids ran around him, but this laugh wasn't sinister or devilish. It was alight with his own relief that his mission of vengeance did indeed have a happy ending of sorts, aside from what his own would be. These kids could be safe on the streets, free to enjoy the Halloween that came without fear of the arsonists having their own fun. Justice had been served.
Eric's laughter quickly grew to a short series of happy sobs as the realization came to him – the crow was right. This mission hadn't been all about vengeance. It was indeed about justice as well.

At first, the smile seemed impossible to leave behind even as he made his way to the derelict church that guarded the cemetery where he'd been interred. Yet, with every step Eric took inside the cemetery, his grief began to come over him again. Yet he didn't know why now.
He was about to see Shelly again, the city he'd lived in was free from any threats from T-Bird's gang, and Sarah and her mom weren't going to be hurt anymore. He should've been happy.
But maybe, Sarah's resting form on top of Shelly's grave was the answer – he'd have to leave his little skater friend behind again. Even the words that came from the crow into Eric's mind offered little comfort.

Come on, kid. You're ok now; you're practically home free. Shelly's waiting for you. Don't forget to pack, and don't walk away. Sarah will be fine here.

Quietly, Eric walked up to her, the crow flying overhead to perch on the top of Shelly's gravestone as Eric crouched down and gently wiggled one of Sarah's boot-clad feet. Sarah woke with a start and looked up to see who'd intruded on her slumber. Seeing it was only Eric, she relaxed and sat up, leaving a bouquet of flowers she'd brought with her on the ground.

"You're gonna that I shouldn't be in a cemetery at night, right?"
Eric shook his head, a gentle grin coming to his face. "Safest place in the world to be."
"It's 'cause everyone else is dead", Sarah shrugged. Eric nodded lightly at her words, sadness coming to him in a fresh stab – even with the gang dead, it'd take a while for Sarah and her mom to get completely back to loving terms.

"I knew you'd come here", Sarah stated. "I just wanted to see you one last time, Eric."
Eric nodded again, smiling lightly. "It's really late though, Sarah."
"You didn't say goodbye."
"You're just gonna have to forgive me for that", Eric begged, gently placing a hand on Sarah's cheek in a comforting manner.
"And you're never coming back? All your…affairs are in order, Eric?" Sarah wondered.
"Oh…all except for one", Eric answered. With that, he reached up and undid the leather thong around his neck, making sure that Sarah could see. "I gave this to Shelly once, you know. But I think she'd like you to have it."
Slowly, he wrapped the thong loosely around Sarah's neck as she bowed her head, tying the ends of the thong up again so that it hung there loosely. "This way, you'll always remember her."
Sarah looked down at the ring in wonderment and shock before her gaze traveled back to Eric's ghostly face. "I'll never take it off", she promised before reaching up and burying her face in Eric's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. Eric held her tightly to him, tears flowing quietly from his eyes and into her shoulder as he felt her weeping into his own shoulder.