Only Fools Walk Free - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,20

There’s nothing to save. So do yourself a favor and just walk away.”

“I don’t believe that.”

He shoved past her, pushing the door open and stomping down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” she demanded.

“To find some money!” he shouted at her over his shoulder.

“Do not do anything to jeopardize your residency here! Your time is almost finished!”

“Lady, get off my ass! I’ll do whatever the hell I want!” He took off at a full run, and as she watched in the glow of the streetlight, he disappeared around the corner.

He ran. He ran until the burning of the muscles in his legs made him stop. He paused outside the front gates of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. This is the place he always came to when he felt like he was ready to explode. And tonight was worse than it’d been in a while. The house-mother wanted him to talk to her. How could he explain what he didn’t understand? He never felt anything but frustration, anger, and emptiness. It was like a part of himself was missing. He’d always been like this, from his earliest memories of life in the orphanage to this very moment in time.

He’d always felt the drive to search, search, search. But for what? Fuck if he knew. But the frustration of never finding satisfaction or whatever nameless thing he was always driven to search for was maddening. It made him angry, and the anger made him act out. He remembered the faces of the many who’d readily dismissed him as useless, unable to be rehabilitated. “Fuck ‘em,” he said to himself, as he walked around the outside perimeter of the cemetery to the opposite side, then scaled the wall, landing on his feet inside. He walked quietly between the graves, breathing deep, taking in the calmness of the night. This was the only place he ever felt like he could breathe easy.

~~~~~

Samuel paced the inside perimeter of his prison again. He was not happy. Claire had been coming to see him less and less. And today when she’d come, she’d only been there for a short while before a dark-haired young man had come for her.

“Hello!” she called out as she approached the crypt.

He’d been waiting for her. She usually came on Sundays, and he’d been ready, even though she’d missed several Sundays of late. He rushed to the front gate. “Claire!” he’d said, though he knew she couldn’t hear him.

“I can’t see you, today. It’s only misty days that I can see your smile, but I know you’re here.”

“I am,” he answered. “Always.”

“Sorry I haven’t been here as much lately. Life happens, ya know?” she said, giving a half-hearted laugh.

She stood there, her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “I met someone. His name is Preston. He’s really handsome. And he’s popular at school. All the girls in my dorm like him, but he likes me. Can you believe it? Me!”

At first he was outraged, then he realized, he could never be the man in her life. Never take her places, never hold her, never protect her or provide for her, never even speak to her. She was doing what he’d asked Clarice to do all those centuries ago — living her life.

Samuel took a deep breath, letting it out and nodding his head. Yes, this was good. She deserved happy, and it had taken her two lifetimes to find it. No matter the personal pain, he wanted this for her.

“So, anyway, I just wanted you to know that while I won’t be here as much, I’ll still come by, and I’ll still take care of the place and come to say hello. I just didn’t want you to worry.” She stepped close to the gate, reaching her hands through it toward him.

Samuel stepped forward, holding her hands in his for what may be the last time.

She smiled, clearly feeling the contact. “I’ll come by when I can. I won’t forget.”

Then a young man had broken the moment. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just saying goodbye,” she said, her voice not its usual confident self.

“I told you it makes people think you’re weird, coming here to spend all your time with a bunch of dead bodies.”

“I know,” she shrugged. “I just got attached to the place when I started taking care of it when I was younger.”

“Well, now you have me to take care of. So come on, hurry the hell up. I have things to do.”

Claire nodded and hurried to catch up to the