Tales from the Town of Salem
#4: A Re-Opened Door
Author's Note: This is a direct follow-up story to "The Price I Pay".
The mood was distinctly foul in the funeral home of Salem, not necessarily for reasons of the home itself. It was actually very well kept, with the red carpets freshly vacuumed, and several windows allowing moonlight into the building. There were several armchairs and couches strewn along the rooms, with flowers from loved ones of the deceased decorating the tables to the side of them. Still, even with all this, the Retributionist couldn't help but notice the ill mood and sadness that flowed from the people around him.
A man in his early sixties, the Retributionist was a man whose color had faded from his features, his once brown hair turning a dark grey, and his vibrant green eyes now being dulled slightly. He was also slightly overweight, with his stomach jutting out from his waist. He wore a brown suit with a red tie, and carried a small blue flower in his front pocket. Officially, he was a retired man, although he still picked up jobs every once in a while to stay in touch with the community. A few months ago, he had taken a quick job as a Security Guard at a night club.
While there, he saw a variety of things that he would rather have not seen. Men foolishly throwing themselves at women, women throwing themselves at men, and several other things that could make any mother wonder what they had done wrong with their children. Then of course, there was the night a Bodyguard gave his life to protect his daughter, not to mention the numerous other Security Guards who lost their lives to a Serial Killer before the Bodyguard stopped him. This was only three days ago.
The Retributionist walked now amongst the well dressed people in the funeral home, seeing a variety of people. Close friends of the Bodyguard, old teachers whom had come to pay their respects, the in laws and living mother of the Bodyguard, and a preacher who would preside over the ceremony. The Retributionist hadn't actually known the Bodyguard on a personal level, but he had seen him around his workplace a few times at previous jobs, such as when he was a secretary for the Mayor, during which the Bodyguard was protecting him.
Of course, the were two particular people the Retributionist had his eye on. One being the wife of the Bodyguard, a well known actress named Alexis. Upon hearing of her husband's death, she was grief stricken, and abandoned the movie she had been working on to attend his funeral at home. Then, there was his daughter, Riley. The young woman had said very little since her father died in her arms, and had become somewhat of a recluse.
As he walked amongst the people, he finally found those he had been searching for. In the main foyer where the ceremony would take place, Alexis and Riley stood by the casket of the Bodyguard. The Retributionist slowly walked up to them, and in the process, caught a small piece of their conversation.
"...know Riley. I don't know." Alexis said. She wore a simple black dress with a jacket over it, her brown hair in a ponytail that reached her mid back. Her daughter, on the other hand, was wearing black dress pants, and a formal purple shirt. Her hair was shorter than her mother's, and flew unrestrained to the tips of her shoulders. Riley leaned her head against her mother, who wrapped her arms around her protectively.
Coming up to the casket, the Retributionist peeked inside, seeing the Bodyguard in what looked like a peaceful sleep, wearing a suit with a blue tie, and his hair neatly combed to the right side. The Retributionist almost thought to gently shake the man, as to wake him from his slumber, but he knew this would achieve nothing. Instead he looked towards the man's wife and daughter again. Riley still had her head leaned against her mother's shoulder, and Alexis was crying softly to herself, sniffing once as she attempted to remain composed.
"Excuse me ma'am, but would you happen to be this man's wife?" The Retributionist asked, though he already knew the answer to that question. He had spoken to a private Investigator he was close friends with and learned everything he could about him. Still, he would need to make this look as natural as possible, so as not to arise any suspicion and get thrown out before he executed his plan. Alexis looked over to him and stared quizzically for a moment, then nodded her head.
"Y-Yes, I am." She said quickly. Riley seemed to notice the Retributionist, and looked over to him. Releasing her daughter for a moment, Alexis stood up straight, and placed her hands respectively in front of her. The Retributionist smiled and extended his hand to her.
"I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I worked with Bruce a few times in the past, and I just wanted to stop by and pay my respects." He said respectively. Alexis didn't seem to fully hear what he said, but nodded nonetheless.
"Um... Thank you..." She sighed and shook her head. "...I'm sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. I mean... " She began to say, but the Retributionist held out his hand and gave a kind smile.
"I understand. It always takes time to accept these things." He said. He looked down to the flower in his front pocket and gently picked it out. He twirled it around in his fingers for a moment before looking back over to the casket, observing the Bodyguard lying there peacefully. He looked back over to Alexis, and saw her with a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"May I?" He asked politely. Alexis seemed surprised to hear him speak again, and looked back over to him with a start. She looked at the flower in his hand for a moment before she figured out what he meant, and gave a small nod.
"Uh, sure... Go ahead." She said. Riley walked past her mother for a moment and stood by the Retributionist gently opened the Bodyguard's palm and placed the stem of the flower into it. Backing away slightly, the Retributionist looked him over once more. The Bodyguard seemed to be holding it close to his heart. The Retributionist noticed Riley smile for a moment, and walk closer to the casket. Alexis came up besides her daughter and observed her husband as well, where she too began to smile softly.
"That's Riley's favorite flower..." Alexis said under her breath, thought it wasn't quiet enough for the Retributionist to hear it. He felt a soft touch on his arm, and looked to Riley, whom was smiling at him.
"Thank you." She said. He nodded and stepped away. He observed the mother and daughter for a moment longer, then turned away and proceeded to the back of the room. He passed the time with casual small talk with other friends and family of the Bodyguard. Finally, the preacher made his way to the front of the room, stood in front of the brown podium, and called for everyone to take a seat for the ceremony. The Retributionist saw Alexis and Riley take a seat near the front, seated next to each other. Once again Riley leaned her head against her mother's shoulder, who draped her arm over her protectively.
"Today, we come here to honor the life and times, of Bruce Sullivan. And though our hearts mourn his passing, we are not here in sadness and despair. But with joy, and companionship, as we remember the great man Bruce was. Today we remember his kind heart, his loving nature..." The preacher said as he began his testimony. The Retributionist politely listened as he began detailing some of Bruce's life, beginning with his childhood where his father died while fighting in Vietnam in 1971. He had been three at the time. Despite this, he had grown up a very good man, and consistently helped out his community.
The preacher's testimony lasted a bit longer, with short stories about Bruce serving in the military, becoming a Bodyguard for hire when he was honorably discharged for taking a bullet wound to his leg, and listing various things he did for his family. Eventually, he got around to asking anyone who wanted to, to come up and share something about Bruce. The Retributionist knew that this would be the best time to do what he was hoping, but out of politeness, waited for anyone who wanted to speak to finish.
The first person to come up was the Bodyguard's mother. The elderly woman had gray hair and a set of kind blue eyes which carried a profound sense of sadness. She told a story of her and her son before he was first deployed somewhere in the military. She smiled as she recalled the story.
"... I remember being so angry at him. I was screaming and yelling at him, and he was just trying to calm me down. Finally I asked him 'What are you trying to get yourself killed for?' What he said astounded me, and made me so proud of him. He said to me, 'Mom, I'm not trying to get myself killed. I want to make Dad proud, I want protect my country like he did.'" She went on a little longer, saying what a good man he was, that he was a great son, and that she would miss him.
Other people came and went, talking about the Bodyguard and of good times they had with him, some with not so good times, but all of them were fond of the Bodyguard, all of them wished that he was still alive, and all of them wished things had gone differently. The Retributionist watched the final person walk up back to their seat, and sit down. The preacher made a call for anyone to come up. The Retributionist saw Riley look up for a moment, but shake her head and look back down. The Retributionist frowned and stood up. Shimmying out of the aisle, he made his way to the front of the room.
Reaching into his suit, he pulled out a small Bible, and opened it to a book marked page. The page held a highlighted verse, and a small, golden cross with several runes on it. Hidden on the flower he had given to the Bodyguard, was another rune. If he did this correctly, he would revive the Bodyguard and restore him to life fully. If he failed, he could play it off as inspiring people to live on to honor the Bodyguard's legacy. He wouldn't fail though. He had practiced far too much. He reached down to grab the cross, and in the meantime, read a verse from the Bible.
"Revalation chapter 3 says; "We serve a God, who opens doors, that no one can shut. And he shuts doors, that no one can open. He says, behold! I have placed before you an open door, that no one can shut. I know you are of little strength, but you have kept my word, and have not denied my name." He said as he pulled the cross from the Bible. Under his breath, he muttered the runes in Latin, which the people before him seemed to pass of as him reciting the verse. He placed the cross in front of the casket, and said a few more words in Latin, and the cross began to shine a dull gold color. The Retributionist smiled, so far, everything was working. Turning to block the light, he stood smiling as he addressed everyone in front him.
"My friends, the Lord is not yet through with Bruce. He has passed from this Earthly realm, but his legacy lives on. He has instilled his will to serve others, his desire for all to be protected, his commitment to love, into all of you. His friends, his family, even his coworkers." He muttered a few words of Latin as he pretended to clear his throat. He could hear a slight humming noise. "Even thought the Lord has closed the door on Bruce's life, one that we cannot hope to open again, many doors now open to you..." He motioned towards the Bodyguard's mother, his wife, his daughter, and everyone else in the room.
"...The doors to live like he did. To care for this town so much, that you would do anything to protect it. To be so loving, to be caring, to be the best that we can be." A few more words in Latin, the cross was shining brighter now, and there was a slight light coming from the casket. "Bruce's work may be done, but his legacy is not. Through the ideals he has ingrained into all of you, he will live on. His work will continue, his love will not die." He said the last few words in Latin, and his hands started to glow brightly. The crowd began to become concerned with some standing and firing rapid accusations of witchcraft, and others claiming him to be an angel.
The Retributionist smiled and ignored the commotion as more and more people began to loudly discuss what was happening. He looked to Riley, who stared at him with awe. He nodded to her and walked to the casket, grabbing the cross that was now shining brilliantly. He looked down into the casket, and saw the flower giving off a soft, dull, blue glow. Calmly, he placed the shining cross next to the flower, before uttering three final words in Latin;
"Vivat, crescat, floreat." With those words, a brilliant white light shined all throughout the room, bathing it with it's light. Everyone covered their eyes, allowing the Retributionist to make his way out of the room. He looked back through the open doorway, and saw the light recede, noticing a familiar voice groan.
"What... How.." He heard. He allowed himself to smile again, he knew he had succeeded. The preacher rushed over to the casket, and his eyes go wide. He looks back to the gathered family members and friends. The Retributionist sees Riley stand as the preacher hurriedly opens the bottom half of the casket, and extended out a hand. From inside the casket, a hand reached out and took hold, gaining surprised exclamations from everyone in attendance. The Retributionist watched as the preacher pulled the Bodyguard up, and helped him get himself over and out of the casket.
His hand on his head, the newly resurrected Bodyguard looked up, his brown eyes full of life, confusion, and awe. Slowly he looked over to where Riley and Alexis were, who were now standing. Slowly, amongst the chatter of astonished attendees, the Retributionist watched as the Bodyguard slowly walked forward.
"I'm alive..." He said quietly. Riley walked forward slightly.
"Daddy... Is... Is it really..." She stammered. The Bodyguard looked to his daughter. Tears started flowing from his eyes as he looked at her.
"Riley... I'm..." He got no farther than that, as he was suddenly at a loss of words as his daughter suddenly ran forward and embraced him, which he quickly returned. Riley began sobbing uncontrollably and fell to the ground, still holding her father. The Bodyguard held onto her, falling to his knees as he began to cry as well. All at once everyone began loudly calling out his name and began to crowd around him and Riley, with Alexis joining in on their hug and crying with them.
Smiling to himself, the Retributionist kissed his Bible.
"Thank you Lord." He said as he walked away from the scene, and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack at the front lobby, and walked away into the cool night.
