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 Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:17 pm
Björn traveled through various streets, apparently working on some kind of internal GPS. It was only ten minutes or so before he found himself in front of the locked gate to one of the many Vavvian cemeteries. There would be no guards around, he knew. The dead were dead. There was no reason to care for them any more, in most cases.
He sighed and looked around. How to get up...
Oh well!
He reached forward and bent two of the bars outward, barely large enough for him to squeeze through. And he did.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:22 pm
It had been easy to spot Björn, though not so much to keep up with him. Ethan had long since gotten used to the fact that it took two of his own strides to match Björn's one, and didn't bother to fret over it. He paused on a curb, taking a break and wondering what Björn was up to when he saw the gate being pulled apart. His eyebrows shot into his hairline, and instant curiosity flooded. He followed, slipping through the bars easily and trailing quietly a good distance behind.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:26 pm
Their destination was up a few hills and across a wide expanse of field to a large and near-empty expanse of plots in the older part of the cemetery. It didn't take Björn long to find the headstone he was looking for, for it was the only one protruding more than a centimeter from the grass.
He kneeled infront of it and heaved a sigh, brushing the dirt from the surface.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:30 pm
Attention diverted now and again as he looked at the headstones, Ethan felt rather sneaky as he crept up the path Björn had taken. He spotted the familiar bulky figure a little ways up and hesitated, watching. Maybe he shouldn't have followed. He crept forward a bit anyway, and paused again.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:39 pm
Björn wiped his hands on his jeans and squinted at the headstone. He couldn't read a damn word of it. Only after he removed his glasses and nearly had his face pressed against the stone could he actually read it.
Sadri Ndeka
2001-2021
Damon Ndeka
2003-
Tears welled up. Silly wench kept his last name...
He smiled fondly and pressed his hand to the face of the stone, sniffling lightly.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:43 pm
Feeling like an intruder, Ethan found himself creeping closer anyway. What was Björn looking at? Surely not a grave for any of the sort of friends they'd seen crucified. He doubted beyond the obvious they were not privileged with burial. Creeping closer and closer, knowing staying quiet was a good idea, he squinted over his glasses and tried to see past Björn, to see the writing on the headstone.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:45 pm
Björn turned suddenly. Gravel was not the best soil to try and sneak on. For a moment, he wanted to scold Ethan for following him and subsequently break the kid over his knee, but why do that? He knew everything else.
The man attampted a smile and nodded his head.
"If you're curious, come look."
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:48 pm
Ethan's heart froze and blood rushed to his face in shame at getting caught. His apology tumbled out, half-formed in Slovak and English, and he ducked his head in humiliation, scolding himself harshly for misplaced curiosity.
It was then that he processed the invitation.
He ventured forward shyly, still looking ashamed at himself, and looked down at the headstone. His expression shifted as he read the names and he looked from it to Björn and back to it again.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:53 pm
"Yeah," Björn nodded, "My wife n' kid."
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:55 pm
"Oh," Ethan said. A minute later, he added, "I'm...I'm sorry."
He noticed there was no date of death next to Damon's name. He itched to ask about it, but distracted more misplaced curiosity by looking around at the other stones before re-reading the one in front of him.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:57 pm
"It's been a long time since they left me," Björn heaved an unintentionally dramatic sigh, "God, Damon's an old man now. Wonder if I'm a great-granddad yet. Or further..." He fell back into a sitting position, causing a rather hollow thud.
"Figured I might as well visit everyone I miss here."
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:00 pm
Ethan crouched down beside Björn and settled on the ground, nodding slightly as he listened, picking up a bit of gravel and walking the stone across his knuckles awkwardly.
"Will you look for him, to visit? I mean, while we're here?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:08 pm
"Who? Damon? God, no," Björn said, looking deeply affronted, "The last thing I want to bring into that poor kid's life is more agony. Doesn't mean I don't want to, but I can't." He picked up a bit of gravel and threw it at a nearby tree. It stuck, embedded in the wood.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:12 pm
"Oh," Ethan said again, looking down at the ground. He walked the gravel across his knuckles again, tossed it and caught it, only to throw it off to the side. It bounced off the ground once or twice, and he picked up another rock to busy himself.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:13 pm
"You're fidgeting," Björn observed aloud, "Stoppit. You're making me nervous."
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