This I Do in Remembrance of You
Dean guessed it was a ritual, whether it was unhealthy, he didn't know. Some psychiatrists would say he had a problem, but to him…
It was pain medicine.
The visitation routine had been imbedded in his clockwork, he knew when the time was near.
He bit into a Hershey's bar, it was Andrew's favorite treat.
He'd left Sam at the hotel, sleeping, he'd salted the doors and widows just in case. Sammy had to be protected. Sammy was all he had.
Why did he do this? Every year, going to South Carolina to see the grave of someone long dead.
He turned on the radio.
You
know I never
I never seen you look so good
You never act the
way you should
But I like it
And I know you like it too
The
way that I want you
I gotta have you
Oh yes, I do
He grinned. That song had history. It was the song that was playing while he and Andrew introduced the Impala to their love.
You
know I never
I never ever stay out late
You know that I can
hardly wait
Just to see you
And I know you cannot wait
Wait
to see me too
I gotta touch you
He could still remember the fogged windows and rocking of the car.
'Cause
baby we'll be
At the drive-in
In the old mans ford
Behind
the bushes
Till I'm screamin' for more
Down the
basement
Lock the cellar door
And baby
Talk dirty to me
He could even smell his cologne.
You
know I call you
I call you on the telephone
I'm
only hoping that you're home
So, I can hear you
When you say
those words to me
And-
Dean turned the radio off as he parked near the cemetery fence. When he got out of the car he felt the light summer breeze upon his face. He opened the gate smoothly, the place was never locked. He walked along lines of tombstones bedecked with "Devoted Wife", "Loving Father", the usual bull, all declaring who had died.
Dean found his destination at the far corner: a regular sized tombstone slightly shadowed by a willow tree.
He got down on bended knee in front of it. He laughed aloud. Andrew's tombstone made everyone do that.
Andrew Tyler Moore
Will not be back after these messages.
Dean had seen the thing many times, but it still made him laugh. Andrew had told his father and Dean that that was what he wanted on his grave. And both men, who had loved him dearly, did exactly that.
He traced the name, feeling the marble engraving against his fingertips. He didn't even cry anymore, save a few good tears.
The air rippled.
Dean tensed. He had felt something, he was sure of it. He looked around, ready for any danger. The air cleared again then there was nothing but plain old night. Dean decided it was time to leave so he pulled himself up and started on his walk to the Impala.
~*~
Dean was walking down a cracked sidewalk not really knowing where he was going. Weed overran the broken cement making it seem like a jungle path.
He came upon an open yard full of dead flowers, but that wasn't the weird part. The dead flowers were in neat rows. He stepped in and walked in between them. The dead grass made dry crackling sounds under his feet. "This seems familiar",Dean thought. As if expecting something he looked up and in the corner was a dead willow tree. It wasn't the regular willow, it was a weeping willow, and someone was under digging for something.
It looked like an old woman, but she dug so swiftly you could have sworn she was 20. Dean wanted to ask her what she was doing, he was unable to speak. The woman stopped her digging and pulled something out, something that seemed to be a Hershey's candy bar…
The dream faded.
Dean woke up with a start, put on some clothes and drove to the cemetery. He ran down the rows of graves to Andrew's.
The ground was open and to coffin was empty.
