Decay (25 page)

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They both gazed up at the open gate of the cemetery. The lighting was dim. Cadence couldn't think of the last time she'd gone to a graveyard in the middle of the night. It'd been a long time. The cemetery grounds were a lot larger than she had anticipated. Hopefully they could find some kind of a clue even if she had no idea where to begin.

“We will travel further in. Closer to where the exact location was triangulated from the cell towers,” Jaes said. He gently grabbed her arm to urge her forward. “Are you afraid?”

She shook her head. “I got over my fear of the dead a long time ago.”

“That is both good and sad at the same time.”

“Why is that?”

Jaes's gaze went to the ground in front of him as they walked briskly down the path, deeper inside. “It is good because we shouldn't fear the dead. After all, they can't do anything anymore. But it's sad because we tend to not be afraid of the dead once we lose someone close to us, or we become more jaded to the world. It takes a special kind of innocence to fear what we can't see.”

“I never thought of it that way,” she said softly. “In my case, it's because I've lost someone.”

“Someone close?”

“My father.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

She smiled. “Thank you. It happened a long time ago. At first, I was afraid to go see him, and then I realized that if he was there, then how could there be only bad spirits who live in these kinds of places? And that's assuming they've stayed behind.”

Jaes nodded, showing he was listening but didn't say more. He looked down at the tablet in his hands before pointing ahead of them to a group of mausoleums and a chapel building. “I don't mean to interrupt but that is where the last solid signal was picked up in this area.”

Her pace quickened, partly because of the cold but also because they were closer to possibly finding an answer. When they arrived, her heart sank at the sight of crisp clean snow all around her. The only footprints to be found were on the path. She searched around her, desperately, wanting to find something.

“This can't be a dead end,” she shook her head. “I refuse to believe it!”

“Can you think of a reason why he would want to come here?” Jaes asked.

“No!” Tears of frustration pooled in her eyes.

He grabbed her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Take a deep breath and calm yourself. Look around you carefully. The smallest of details could speak volumes.”

Taking in a deep breath, Cadence closed her eyes for a moment, knowing he was right. She had to focus. What did she see around her? Snow, lots of that, but she noticed how it was disturbed slightly by the entrance to one of the mausoleums. A small pile was near the entrance of one, caused from the door opening and closing. She moved closer to it, wanting a better look, and read the family name over the frame.

“Heeton,” she whispered. It seemed familiar to her. Where had she heard it before? “I think there was a kid at my school once who had that last name. I mean, there are some common ones, but not this. There's only one person I've heard of who's had it.”
Think, where do I recognize it? Why is it ringing a bell? Who at your school did it belong to?

Jaes typed on his electronic tablet. “According to your internet, and the website for this property, the mausoleum holds an individual by the name of Dallas Heeton. Is that helpful?”

“Sort of,” she said. Then she gasped. “Yes, it helps a lot.” She grabbed the door and was grateful that it was unlocked. In fact, upon further investigation she saw a small padlock left open and hanging off the side of the door handle carelessly. She slowly pulled it open, the fresh snow on the ground creating some resistance.

“There was a guy at my school once with that name. I'm pretty sure. Like I said, it's unique. He died, and he was friends with Orlando,” she explained. The pieces were slowly starting to fall into place. She'd always wondered why Orlando had gone from perfect jock to perfect Goth overnight. It never once occurred to her it might be because he had lost a close friend. Dallas had been good at being invisible. If he didn't have such a unique name and sad story, she would have forgotten about him completely.
Does that make me a bad person?

When she opened the door and saw Orlando lying on the floor, curled underneath a pile of thick blankets, a few tears trailed down her cheeks. She rushed to his side and checked to make sure he was in fact alive. He was asleep, his breathing heavy, and he didn't appear to be injured in anyway – only thin.

She shook him a few times. “Orlando...Orly! Come on, wake up!”

He groaned and pulled away from her. “Go away, Nia. We can talk later.”

“I'm not...” Cadence frowned. “It's me, Cadence, Slick. Wake up, and we can take you back home.”

It took him a moment, but eventually his eyes opened and his glossed over gaze settled on her. “I can't leave. He's not back yet. He'll wonder where I went. I have to stay. It's not done yet.” His words came out slow and slurred, heavy breaths in-between each phrase. “And I'm not sure I can...”

“Not sure you can what? Leave? What's going on?”

Orlando shook his head and lay back down. “I just need to sleep.”

“No you need to get up. Your sister is worried sick about you. We all are.”

He grunted.

Cadence gave his arm a firm tug. “What is wrong with you? Snap out of it, and wake up!” It took some effort, but she was able to get him to open his eyes again. “Orlando, look at me. Are you drugged? Hurt? What's happening?”

For a few seconds, his pupils became more focused, and his eyes locked on hers. “She gave him my life, but he left so I won't be hurt anymore. I think it might be too late. My body is tired and weak. I can't stand. It hurts too much, and I'm cold.”

“Jaes,” Cadence pleaded. “Is there anything you can do?”

The alien moved closer. “I know of the girl who has used her powers against you. She has tried to steal your life and give it to another. The pain and weakness is deterioration of the body. There is a medicine on my ship that will aide in the restoration process, but first we need to get you to a safe and warm place.” He put a hand on both her and Orlando. “If you trust me, I believe I can teleport him back to his home since it is a place I have been to several times. That would be the best spot for recovery given the circumstances.”

Cadence made eye contact with him and nodded. “I trust you.”

With a loud bang and a puff of smoke, the three of them teleported out of the mausoleum. She expected them to arrive inside of The Apartment. After all, that was where Jaes went the most. When they arrived a few feet away from the front door of the mansion, Cadence was quite surprised. She grabbed one of Orlando's arms and hoisted it over her shoulders.

“Help me lift him up,” she said.

“I can...” Orlando mumbled.

“No, you can't,” she said sharply. Jaes went to the other side of Orlando, and together they were able to lift him from the ground. Carefully, they carried him to the front door. She rang the bell then started to feel around Orlando's pockets to see if he had any keys on him.

Orlando grunted. “Key's in a brick. Right side of the door, three up from the ground. It−” The door opened revealing a middle aged man. Orlando's head lifted slightly. He drew in a sharp breath when he saw who was on the other side. “D...Dad?”

The man rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Orlando who winced from the touch.

“Gentle,” Cadence urged as she tried to keep her friend steady. The man stepped back, and his gaze wandered over Cadence and Jaes before settling on the alien.

Risking a glance at Jaes, she noticed the young man's body stiffen and his free hand raised in a salute. “S-sir,” Jaes said.

“At ease, Junior,” the man said gently. He moved to take Cadence's position under Orlando's weight, which she gratefully relinquished. Orlando wasn't a big guy necessarily, but he certainly packed a lot more weight than it appeared. Either that or she needed to do a lot more heavy lifting to gain some muscles.

She let the two men in, holding the door so they could get inside with ease, and watched as they went up the stairs. Rather than follow them, she lingered in the marble entryway. Jaes knew Orlando's father. He'd addressed him with a military title. Something was going on, but it wasn't the right time to ask.