Vincent turned off onto a dirt road. It led up to an abandoned barn with stacks of dry hay in front of the large doors. He set Tim's body on the top of the stack, and I noticed a few barn boards stuck out of the straw. "You guys were ready for this, weren't you?" I asked him.
"Yes." He lit a match and tossed it on the pile.
We both stepped back when the fire took to its food, and in a minute the hay was a bonfire of flames that licked at the sky. I glanced down at the book in my arms, and then to Vincent. "Should I burn this?" I asked him.
He looked to me, and took the book off my hands. I was glad for the less responsibility, but curious when he stuffed it away inside his coat. "Bat will be curious to see this," he explained to me.
"Oh, right." I didn't think I wanted to know anymore, at least not until it got me into trouble.
Knowing from movies how awful burning bodies smelled, I made sure to stay upwind of the smoke. Vincent and I silent stood beside one another and watched as the flames took Tim's body. It was a terrible sight to behold, but I couldn't look away. All the memories of the great jokes and laughs and teasing we'd had together went up with that smoke, and I felt a tearing inside me as I spoke a silent goodbye to my old friend.
I didn't even notice I was crying until I felt the tiny droplets drip off my chin. I rubbed my eyes to stop them, and Vincent glanced down at me. His face was dry. "Problems?" he wondered.
I snorted and managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm human and these damn emotions are bothering me."
"Emotions tell you that you're alive," he countered.
I stopped my pawing at my tears and glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was strangely emotional for an undead guy." Vincent shrugged and turned away from me. I gave him a closer look. In the firelight I was reminded how handsome he was, and in the soft lines of his face I detected a hint-smidgen-possibility of sadness. "Could I ask you-"
"Yes."
"Yes what?" I returned.
"Yes to your question."
I leaned in and narrowed my eyes. "You weren't digging around in my mind seeing what I was thinking, were you?"
"That's neither possible, nor anything I would care to do," he replied.
"Then what was I going to ask?"
"You were going to ask if I had a soul."
"How'd you know that?"
"It was the first question Tim asked me." Turns and looks her over. "He must have seen a lot of himself in you."
"So if you have a soul how do you manage to-well, to kill people?"
"My soul isn't like that of a human." He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Sometimes I even bring it out and look at it."
"Oookay, that's creepy."
"That's what Tim would say."
"And he was right." I glanced back at his remains. The fire was hot enough I couldn't stare directly into the flames, but that meant there would be only ash left of him. "So, um, what do I do now?"
"You survive," Vincent replied.
"Will that really keep me busy for long?" I asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean just surviving sounds boring. Isn't there something interesting Tim did? You know, to pass the time?"
"He had his occupation," he reminded me.
"Oh, right, the business." I crossed my arms over my chest and furrowed my brow. "I suppose it can't be any more dangerous than what we did tonight?"
"Not often."
"And it pays decently?"
"Quite often."
"And it'll keep me out of trouble?"
"Not likely."
I clapped my hands together and playfully pushed my shoulder into Vincent. He swayed and raised an eyebrow "Well, why the hell not?" I mused. "I've got a lot of time on my hands so I may as well take over his business. Besides, with you as an employee somebody else has to be the front-man for the customers. Otherwise they'll all be scared away." Vincent cracked a smile, and I wagged my eyebrows. "There, that's the look I want from a happy employee of-" I frowned. "Um, what did I just take over, anyway?" Vincent's face fell and he looked at me with an annoyed expression. I shrugged and sheepishly smiled. "Tim
"Yes." He lit a match and tossed it on the pile.
We both stepped back when the fire took to its food, and in a minute the hay was a bonfire of flames that licked at the sky. I glanced down at the book in my arms, and then to Vincent. "Should I burn this?" I asked him.
He looked to me, and took the book off my hands. I was glad for the less responsibility, but curious when he stuffed it away inside his coat. "Bat will be curious to see this," he explained to me.
"Oh, right." I didn't think I wanted to know anymore, at least not until it got me into trouble.
Knowing from movies how awful burning bodies smelled, I made sure to stay upwind of the smoke. Vincent and I silent stood beside one another and watched as the flames took Tim's body. It was a terrible sight to behold, but I couldn't look away. All the memories of the great jokes and laughs and teasing we'd had together went up with that smoke, and I felt a tearing inside me as I spoke a silent goodbye to my old friend.
I didn't even notice I was crying until I felt the tiny droplets drip off my chin. I rubbed my eyes to stop them, and Vincent glanced down at me. His face was dry. "Problems?" he wondered.
I snorted and managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm human and these damn emotions are bothering me."
"Emotions tell you that you're alive," he countered.
I stopped my pawing at my tears and glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was strangely emotional for an undead guy." Vincent shrugged and turned away from me. I gave him a closer look. In the firelight I was reminded how handsome he was, and in the soft lines of his face I detected a hint-smidgen-possibility of sadness. "Could I ask you-"
"Yes."
"Yes what?" I returned.
"Yes to your question."
I leaned in and narrowed my eyes. "You weren't digging around in my mind seeing what I was thinking, were you?"
"That's neither possible, nor anything I would care to do," he replied.
"Then what was I going to ask?"
"You were going to ask if I had a soul."
"How'd you know that?"
"It was the first question Tim asked me." Turns and looks her over. "He must have seen a lot of himself in you."
"So if you have a soul how do you manage to-well, to kill people?"
"My soul isn't like that of a human." He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Sometimes I even bring it out and look at it."
"Oookay, that's creepy."
"That's what Tim would say."
"And he was right." I glanced back at his remains. The fire was hot enough I couldn't stare directly into the flames, but that meant there would be only ash left of him. "So, um, what do I do now?"
"You survive," Vincent replied.
"Will that really keep me busy for long?" I asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean just surviving sounds boring. Isn't there something interesting Tim did? You know, to pass the time?"
"He had his occupation," he reminded me.
"Oh, right, the business." I crossed my arms over my chest and furrowed my brow. "I suppose it can't be any more dangerous than what we did tonight?"
"Not often."
"And it pays decently?"
"Quite often."
"And it'll keep me out of trouble?"
"Not likely."
I clapped my hands together and playfully pushed my shoulder into Vincent. He swayed and raised an eyebrow "Well, why the hell not?" I mused. "I've got a lot of time on my hands so I may as well take over his business. Besides, with you as an employee somebody else has to be the front-man for the customers. Otherwise they'll all be scared away." Vincent cracked a smile, and I wagged my eyebrows. "There, that's the look I want from a happy employee of-" I frowned. "Um, what did I just take over, anyway?" Vincent's face fell and he looked at me with an annoyed expression. I shrugged and sheepishly smiled. "Tim
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