Chapter 1: Heaven Help Us – Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018

After finding a shirt in his closet, Will pauses to look into the mirror. He stares deeply into his own blue eyes and imagines his mother standing in front of him. He sees her long wavy blonde hair. A proud smile. A small nod of assurance. He wishes he could hear her voice. Closing his eyes, a tear falls down his right cheek. He breathes to take this moment in. To find strength.

Will abruptly wipes his face. "I don't have time for this," he whispers to himself. "I have to be okay. I'm the strong one." Hearing the bathroom door open, he swiftly puts on his shirt and checks his face in the mirror. He decided a long time ago. No one can see a hint of his sadness.

Wrapping his arms around Will from behind, Chad winks at his husband through the mirror. "How about you take that shirt off again… and the rest of your clothes and join me in the shower. We can carve in some one-on-one time."

Will feels a certain part of Chad's anatomy pressing against his back. He's tempted, but he knows he doesn't have time at the moment. Turning around, he smiles at his husband. "I wish, but I already took a shower. You looked so peaceful sleeping there. I have to make sure everyone else is awake."

Chad wraps his hands onto Will's waist. "Are you sure?"

Will gives Chad a quick peck before slapping his bare ass. "Another time. A time when we can savor it." Appreciating the minty flavor of his husband's lips, he gives Chad another kiss before heading towards the hallway. He stops at the closed door to say, "Now get in that shower before everyone sees another reason I'm the luckiest man alive."

Blushing a bit, Chad hurries into the bathroom. He hears their bedroom door open and close as he looks into the bathroom mirror closest to the shower. He smiles but then a hint of sadness comes over him. He sees EJ staring back at him. His brother's eyes are full of loss. "I'm living your life, EJ. You should be here to enjoy it all."

Chad smiles again as he thinks about the goofy times he's had with his nephews and nieces. With all that fun came a lot of stress as well. Will and I really need some alone time soon. I will have to make it happen.

Chad's phone suddenly rings. It's Safiya. Realizing he never heard from her about her last overseas concert, he greets her with excitement in his voice. "Hey. How did things go last night – your time?"

"Great," Safiya responds immediately. Something in the tone of her voice hints she may have just lied. "Chad… we may have an issue."

Immediately noting the panic in Safiya's tone, Chad questions, "What's the issue?"

Safiya releases a fearful sigh. "T and I lost Dario. We can't get in touch with him. We have a show tonight."

"What do you mean you lost Dario?" Something shifted in his cousin a while back. Chad shakes his head at himself recognizing he still feels surprised any time Dario does something out of character. Perhaps it's not so out of character anymore. "When did you lose him?"

"I'm putting the call on speaker," Safiya announces. Her voice over Chad's phone changes once she does. "T can tell you more than I can because he was the last to see him."

"Hey, Chad," T says quickly before sharing, "It was after the concert last night… that's the last time I saw Dario. He was talking to a group of fans and seemed to be taking things in because everyone was asking for a picture. Safiya was doing the same so I didn't think much about it."

Chad isn't sure he follows what T is saying. "Much about what? Him meeting with fans or did something else happen?"

"I didn't witness anything else last night," T clarifies. "I stuck with Safiya for the rest of the night until I returned to my hotel room to go to sleep. Dario wasn't there. I took a shower and fell asleep. When I woke up, he still wasn't there, so I started calling his phone. He didn't pick up. And then I noticed his guitar wasn't even there – the midnight blue one."

Safiya shares what happened next. "T called me and told me what he just told you, so I tried calling Dario. He didn't answer and he's still not picking up for me either. I even called the crew to see if they've seen Dario and no one has. They haven't seen his guitar either."

Chad begins to truly panic now. "You talked to the manager at the hotel and the manager at the venue?"

"Yes," Safiya answers.

"And why didn't you call me before?" Chad begins to feel helpless because Safiya, T, and Dario are currently overseas. "It's not morning there anymore. He's been missing for a long time!"

T clears his throat to offer a reason. "You were asleep."

"What's going on?" Dario's voice suddenly sounds through Chad's phone.

Chad leans into his phone. "Is that…?"

"Dario," Safiya's voice sounds. She's more than frustrated. "We haven't seen you at all today and you didn't call us back."

Dario replies, "I'm here. Did you think I'd actually miss the performance tonight? I got caught up exploring the city and needed some time away. That's okay, right?"

Chad quickly steps in to deescalate things. "Of course, but it would be helpful in the future if you told someone where you are or what's happening."

Clearing his throat, Dario agrees. "You're right. I am sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good," Chad responds. "Is everyone ready for the final concert?"

"We are," Safiya assures. "We should probably get ready."

Crisis averted. Chad takes a breath before agreeing. "Have a great show and I'll see you all when you get back tomorrow."

Out in the hall, Will knocks on a bedroom door before entering. "Good morning," he releases.

Johnny rushes out of his bathroom and hands Julian to his oldest brother. Feeling rushed for time, he speaks quickly but clearly. "I still need to brush my hair. I'll be down in a second. He's ready."

Will looks to his baby brother, who is all smiles. "Are you ready to eat something?" After Julian gladly agrees, Will calls out to Johnny, "Make sure you have all your homework in your backpack this time!"

Leaving the room, Will knocks on the next door. "Let's see what your sisters are doing. Hopefully they're almost done."

Allie opens the door with Sydney's hair in her hand. "Hey Will, we're almost done. She finally picked a shirt and now I'm doing her hair."

"Need help?" Will offers. He wonders why it took Sydney so long to pick a shirt when she wears uniforms to school.

Sydney quickly cuts in. "Allie does my hair better than you, bro, but Jade does it better than Allie." She wishes Jade could do it now.

With an understanding nod, Will eagerly agrees. "But I'm still better than, Chad, right?"

"Not anymore," Sydney grins. "I gave him YouTube homework and he's clearly practiced."

Trying to be playful with his youngest sister, Will questions, "Why didn't I get any homework from you?"

Sitting still for Allie, Sydney calmly replies, "You can't do everything, Will."

Will tries to smile, but he finds it difficult. He wants to do everything for them.

Allie turns her head to him. "We'll be down in a bit. My school bag is set and ready."

Nodding his head once more, Will leaves Sydney's bedroom. He has one final stop before heading downstairs. "We have to check on Sonny now," he informs Julian as if they're on some kind of adventure.

Julian places his hands on Will's cheeks and begins to push them towards each other. "Fish."

Will makes a fish face with his lips and goes in on Julian's arms to make him laugh. "You like the fish lips, don't you?"

Julian nods his head as they arrive outside of Sonny's bedroom. Will knocks on the door before peering inside. The lights are out. Sonny is still in bed. "You awake?" Will softly questions.

Though he is awake, Sonny remains still in his bed. He doesn't want to be bothered.

Will knows better. "Breakfast should be here soon. You should grab some… if you want."

Sonny continues to quietly lay still in his bed. He has no interest in interacting with anyone like before. When his bedroom door closes, he allows himself to breathe normally.

The doorbell rings. Sonny's body tenses. "I cannot wait until they're gone."

Downstairs, Will, who is still holding Julian, moves out of the way so his dad and Sophie can enter. They brought breakfast. "Good morning. All the kids should be down soon to eat. Then you can take them to school, dad."

Lucas nods his head feeling defensive. "I know, Will. This is our routine now."

"Right." Will puts Julian down to help his dad take breakfast to the dining room table.

Sophie takes Julian's hand to follow Will and Lucas. "Are you hungry, Juju?" Julian nods his head and eagerly smiles.

Lucas turns to his pregnant wife. "I got the okay from mom to work remotely so I can help you with Julian today."

Will sets the table and reflects on how Sophie has helped with Julian's care during the day. She is close to her due date. It has to be hard for her. He wonders if he'll need a new plan for his baby brother once his new sibling arrives. Maybe I can ask Jen or even my great-grandmother, Caroline.

Johnny, Allie, and Sydney arrive for breakfast. After Allie greets her dad and Sophie with hugs, she joins her siblings to eat breakfast. "Dad, don't forget about the father-daughter dance this weekend."

Sydney watches as Lucas promises Allie he won't forget. She looks at her plate of food and suddenly doesn't want to eat. "I'm ready to go to school," she announces.

Johnny reaches over and grabs a biscuit from Sydney's plate. "Thanks."

Will makes a mental note of Sydney skipping out on breakfast again. It's not unusual at this point, but he knows he needs to be aware of this. "Don't forget your lunches on your way out. I'll be right back." He heads out of the dining room wondering where his husband is.

Chad walks down the stairs. "Looking for me?"

Will nods his head. "Breakfast is here. I am going to try Sonny one more time."

Putting his hand out and placing it on Will's chest, Chad stops his husband from walking away. "Wait. I just tried and Sonny didn't even budge. I feel like we're making things worse by going in there. We can't keep doing this."

Will gently moves Chad's hand off of his chest. "We can't leave him to his thoughts. He's not good here."

Chad's phone chimes. He glances at the screen and sighs.

"What is it?"

Chad puts his phone away. "Dario disappeared last night. They're preparing for their last performance now. Safiya promised she'd keep an extra eye on Dario to make sure he makes it back home."

Will sighs and takes Chad's hand. "We have to do something."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Meanwhile, Renée pridefully drinks her coffee in the living room of the DiMera mansion. When Frank enters the side door, she places her cup down. She's clearly energized. "Oh, goody. I hope you have something interesting to share this morning."

Frank manages to nod warmly to Renée. He feels fortunate that she doesn't expect him to smile. "Just here to give an update on security. Everything's in place. There are no current threats locally or otherwise."

When Frank tries to leave, Renée eyes him and sharply questions, "That's it?"

Frank stops and turns around to face Renée. "Ms. DiMera?"

Renée waves her hand at Frank. "It's not that I'm questioning your ability. I'm happy to hear you say there aren't any threats against me. It does help me feel somewhat safe in this lap of luxury. The problem is… well, I may be on top of the world at the moment, but there are always threats. We just don't see them yet."

Frank nods his head to show he has heard Renée. "Well, I am keeping my eyes open to everything. Do you mind if I check in on the other family members to secure their safety?"

Renée knows better. She is fully aware Frank is keeping tabs on Chad, Will, and the other rug rats already. He doesn't actually want her blessing. "I need your focus here. You are stationed here, are you not?"

"Correct." Frank clears his throat. "I'll get to it… if I'm excused."

Waving her hands to direct him away, Renée returns to her cup of coffee. She is clearly unamused. "Go on."

Frank leaves the same way he came in. Once he's outside and out of Renée's eyesight, he shakes his head because he needs to check in with Chad and Will. He knows EJ and Sami would want him to keep an eye out on their children and Chad. He knows that also includes protecting them from Renée. He hates working for Chad's sister, but he needs to be close to her to find out if she's hiding anything. He hopes she's hiding something. "There are always threats. We just don't see them yet."

(*)*(*)*(*)

In a small ornate office at St. Luke's, Paul sits across from Brady. He glances at the time before offering Brady a smile.

"Sorry," Brady releases. "Kristen is on her way. She texted me when I got here. I don't know what's taking so long."

Paul gives Brady an assuring smile. "It's okay. I'm sure Kristen wouldn't miss this meeting. I know how important this wedding is to her."

Brady immediately agrees. "It is. And it's very important to me as well." He wipes his hands down his legs before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Relax, Brady. This is a happy occasion."

Brady attempts to release the stress in his body by blowing air from his mouth. "You're right. I know you're right, but maybe I've got a case of wedding jitters. I don't know. I'm not worried about Kristen. Things are great there."

"You two are working together…"

"We are. Never thought I would be working for Blake, Inc., but things are going great there. I feel like I'm able to do what I want freely without my grandfather looking over my back." Brady rolls his eyes at the thought of Victor. "I never realized how much he held me back."

Paul stalls. He isn't sure he wants to jump the gun on talking this through with Brady without Kristen. He decides to bite the bullet. "What's the problem then?"

Brady's arms get tighter around his chest. "You can probably guess… my dad and Marlena. They're the problem."

"What are they doing?" Paul is somewhat aware of the issues Brady has with his father and stepmother. "I noticed they almost avoid saying much about you and Kristen."

Brady shakes his head. "It's probably because it's you. I haven't really told them that Kristen and I are working with you for the wedding. It makes things easier for you, trust me."

"So what are they doing exactly?" Paul considers the possibility that this could get in the way of the wedding.

Discomfort covers Brady's face because he hopes this doesn't push Paul into deciding he can't help with the premarital sessions and ceremony. "I know you are good friends with my dad and have shared meals with him and Marlena since you moved here. They have a history with Kristen and don't approve of my relationship with her. They've all hurt each other in ways, and right now, Kristen is the only one who is letting it go. Sometimes I wonder if Marlena is the one holding my dad back."

Paul notes Brady has said a lot without really answering his question. Though his experience with Marlena thus far is proof that she is not someone he can trust, he knows he can't put those presumptions onto this situation. "We don't have to talk about this if this is hard for you."

"It's not hard per se," Brady releases. "It's complicated because I don't want you to distance yourself from working with Kristen and me because of your relationship with my dad. I know you take your job seriously and I don't think you'd let your personal connection get in the way of it."

Paul nods his head in an assuring way. "You can speak freely. We are all human and have areas we can grow in. I know I'm capable of hurting others just as anyone else who walks this earth."

Brady rubs his chin with his thumb contemplating where he should start. He drops his hand and moves forward in his seat. "My father and Marlena are shutting me out in ways. There are family events I am not invited to because of my relationship with Kristen. I think it's to appease Marlena honestly because she and Kristen kind of hate each other. No, they hate each other. I get it, but it gets frustrating because while Kristen seems ready to let that hate go, Marlena won't let up. She wants Kristen to stay away from everyone." His thoughts turn to how Marlena seemed to accept EJ and even Stefano for Sami.

Paul keeps quiet as he reflects on how Marlena believed he could be John's son and even pulled Dario into questioning him for her. He wonders if she needed to know because she saw him as a threat to her family. "Maybe she sees herself as protecting everyone. Not to say she's right, but she could have your best interest at heart."

Brady immediately shakes his head to disagree. "I wish it were that easy. It's more than Marlena's truth and her trying to protect us. It's her story. Marlena's story is the only one that matters. There is no room for anyone else's."

"Would you like me to talk to your dad about this?" Paul volunteered. "I can figure out where his head is and maybe we can all come to an agreement so that you can still have your relationship with John."

"You would do that?"

Paul confirms it with a nod. "Yes. Family is important, and I know John believes that."

Brady relaxes in his seat. He is relieved. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." He looks at the time before offering, "Is there anything you need help with? Around the church?"

"The church is fine at the moment, thanks," Paul automatically responds. "…but maybe there is something. Can you tell me how Dario is? You're related, right?"

Brady tilts his head to the side. "We are, I guess, but Dario and I don't really have much of a relationship. My dad is Stefano's brother and I don't like to tie myself to the DiMera name."

Wondering if he made a mistake in bringing up Dario, Paul decides to place his concern to the back of his mind. "It's okay. I'll try to reach out to him personally when he returns to Salem."

Kristen suddenly rushes inside. "I am so sorry for not being here on time." She takes a seat next to her fiancé. He takes her hand. Turning to Paul, she smiles. "What did I miss?"

Paul returns Kristen's smile. "We decided to wait on discussing your relationship, so we can begin now."

Kristen squeezes Brady's hand. She is full of excitement and hope. With Paul, she feels she and Brady can have the life they want. To her, he offers a clean slate.

(*)*(*)*(*)

"I can't believe I turned in the wrong assignment." Joy's head shakes disapprovingly.

Qamar gently bumps his shoulder against Joy's body to snap his friend out of the negative mindset. "Everything worked out. Your professor was cool about it and let you turn in the right assignment." He looks to JJ, who seems to have no clue how stressed Joy is. "Right, JJ?"

JJ realizes he's not paying attention to the others. "Sorry. Are you two heading back to the dorms?"

Qamar glances at Joy because JJ isn't showing interest in their conversation. He returns his eyes to his roommate and says, "No. Joy and I are heading to the library to do some research. That's why we're heading in this direction."

"Oh." JJ adjusts his bag over his shoulder. "I have to head to the dorm before I meet up with my dad and Abel. I'll check in with you two later."

JJ walks away after saying bye. Qamar and Joy wave at him before turning to each other. "He has no clue."

Over the assignment snafu at this point, Joy eyes Qamar for a moment. "About how you feel about him?"

"What?" Qamar lowers his voice because he fears others heard what Joy said. "No. I just mean he seemed oblivious of our existence just now. I think it's great he wants to be an awesome uncle, but I honestly don't know how he's making it through life right now."

Joy pats Qamar's back. "And that just proves to me how much you love him. You need to tell him how you feel. He doesn't see it because he's distracted and it's killing you even though you like to pretend it's not."

No one is around so Qamar speaks normally again. "There's nothing to tell JJ. He and I are roommates, friends… that's it. What about you?"

"What about me?"

Qamar crosses his arms over his chest. "What about how you're lying to him? You told him you're a lesbian when we both know that's not how you truly identify. Like a typical straight boy, he keeps asking you about all the women on campus to see who you're attracted to."

Joy's body shifts to the side due to Qamar's ability to turn this around. "I said that so JJ would back off from me. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't put a stop to his interest in me?"

Qamar notes how Joy seems tense and guarded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to imply you're a bad friend. You're an awesome friend, and I'm very lucky to have you in my life."

Relaxing, Joy's hands drop straight down. "And I'm lucky to have you. JJ is lucky to have both of us in his life. I honestly think you're doing a disservice to yourself and JJ if you don't tell him how you feel."

Qamar does not want to have this conversation. He pulls out a piece of paper. He originally decided he wouldn't make a big deal out of it, but he knows he can use it as an out now. "I don't have to tell JJ anything because this guy gave me his phone number after my workout this morning. I think he was actually flirting with me."

Joy takes the piece of paper from Qamar's hand to look it over. "What does he look like? What is his name?"

Qamar moves so he can look at the sheet of paper. According to this, his name is Harley. He's a few inches taller than me and clearly goes to the gym more than me, but that may not be too obvious when you don't see him in gym clothes."

"Is he a biker or something?"

Qamar laughs but immediately responds with, "No. He's kind of like you. He wears layers and sometimes loose clothing. He's cute…"

"…but not your type." Joy returns the paper to Qamar. "Which means you're not calling or texting him."

Shrugging his shoulders, Qamar puts the phone number away. "I will. I just got it this morning, so I… I'm trying to find out what I'm going to say to him."

Joy nods in an obvious way to placate Qamar. Trying to read him, Joy wonders if this Harley guy is just a distraction from JJ. "Don't text or call yet. I have to vet the guy before it turns into anything."

Qamar smirks. "Should I be worried?"

(*)*(*)*(*)

Inside one of the conference rooms at The Salem Spectator, Jennifer sits across from Eric as she glances through the photos he took at their most recent fundraiser. Putting a few down on the table, she enthusiastically states, "I really like these for our next issue. They really capture what we were able to do this past weekend."

Eric looks at the photos Jennifer chose. "I actually flagged those as well for the paper. Is your write-up done?"

Jen tells Eric she has it all set. "Are you available next Tuesday evening? We have been invited to a meeting where a group of trans kids plan to share some of their stories. I threw out an idea of doing a series of write-ups by the kids to put in the paper. The meeting will also cover what we can do to make sure we do this in the most respectful way possible. Some may want to do it anonymously."

"Sounds great." Eric opens his phone to check his schedule. "I'll make sure Nicole knows I am occupied that evening." He smiles at Jen. He's glad he took on this gig part-time.

A knock sounds on the conference door. Hannah enters with a look of excitement. "Excuse me, Ms. Horton. Mr. Wentworth has asked me to join him on assignment."

Jen knows why Hannah is excited. She proudly stands and rests her hands on the conference table. "Congrats on your first field assignment. Be safe and make sure you learn a lot. Harold is a great teacher."

"I won't let you down!" Hannah backs out and leaves more eager than before.

(*)*(*)*(*)

After finding her checked luggage, Lexie grabs it and the rest of her things to exit the airport. She's not completely sure how she feels about arriving alone in Salem again. She wishes things had played out differently with her son.

Outside, Brandon waits for Lexie to arrive. He's leaning on the side of his car trying to downplay his excitement in seeing Lexie again. He needs to play it cool. Rubbing his face, he realizes he missed a spot when he shaved this morning.

Lexie walks through the sliding doors and sees Brandon immediately. She waves at him to get his attention. It's good seeing a familiar face.

Brandon drops his hand from his face and quickly helps Lexie with her luggage. After putting it in his truck, he gives her a quick hug before opening the passenger side door. Once they are inside, he asks, "How was your trip?"

Lexie exhales deeply. She's unsure of how to summarize her trip. There's no way to fully capture the visit she had with her mother, Tajana, and Theo. "Things are still tense unfortunately. I barely interacted with my son. According to my mother, he's doing well." She got some confirmation in her limited interaction with Theo. Sighing, she shows she's struggling with feelings of defeat. "I wish Tajana never found out about me keeping secrets for Theo. I should have told Theo in private about... about EJ, Sami, Rex, and Ignazio."

Brandon knows this is hard for Lexie. Having to get permission on what she could and couldn't do with her son… he knows it's too much for her. "You must feel powerless, but remember. It's only temporary. Celeste won't let anything happen to Theo."

Lexie attempts a smile. She wants to hope things will all workout, but ever since her brother's death, she's not so sure anymore. She eventually returned to Salem after she told her son the news of the DiMera jet crash. Tajana changed all the rules. Her access with her son is now limited.

Brandon takes in Lexie's silence. He knows she's thinking about everything that has gone wrong. "It sucks Theo continues to be closed off from the world. I wish I was able to visit him more."

"I know he appreciated when you came." Lexie wants to bring her son home, but she also knows he is getting the help he needs to understand and control his gift. He can't be like my mother or worse.

"You said you had a lot to get done when you landed," Brandon speaks.

Lexie nods her head. She recalls telling Brandon this when she called him before her last flight. She has a lot to accomplish now that she's back. "I do. First, I want to visit Cameron. I have to talk to him."

With a nod, Brandon confirms their first destination. "Cameron it is."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Back at The Chill, Chad and Will are in the zone in the office upstairs. Leaning against his chair, Chad smiles. "We have figured out our schedule for the next month. We'll be able to have another contest."

Will stands from his seat and glances down at the stage below. He remembers the first contest. A lot of good things came from it, but he can't escape his anxiety. Rubbing his chin with his thumb, he turns to face his husband once more. "Are we completely sold on doing another contest? Things are kind of hectic for us at the moment."

Chad stands up to move closer to Will. "We just have to keep to the schedule. We'll be fine."

Will wishes he shared Chad's confidence in this. Even if they currently had a basic schedule down with his siblings, he knows their home-life is anything but consistent. "I guess I'll talk to my uncle and see if he wants to help out. My Aunt Cassie may be interested as well."

"That's good," Chad releases feeling excited again. He hears a voice call out from the bottom floor and quickly moves to the office door to see who's here. "Who is that?"

Will follows Chad out of the office and down the stairs. There is a man waiting for them near the bar. He appears to be close to their age and is dressed in a fashionable suit. "Can we help you?"

The well-dressed man puts his hand out to introduce himself. "My name is Gaius. Do either of you own this fine establishment?" His eyes remain on Will.

Chad cuts in to shake Gaius's hand first. "Yes. We do. My name is Chad Horton, and this is my husband, Will."

After shaking Chad's hand, Gaius shakes Will's hand next. "Both of you have quite the firm handshakes. It must be an American thing and I like it. You two must really love each other if you're willing to work together."

"We do," Will confirms taking note of Gaius's accent.

Noting the accent and how Gaius continues to focus mainly on Will, Chad interjects, "So, what brings you by? We're not really open to the public currently."

With an attractive smile, Gaius takes a step backwards so he can glance between Will and Chad. He continues to focus more on Will though. "As I said before, I am Gaius. I recently bought a nearby property to open a new club. I thought I'd introduce myself to the neighboring businesses and set a friendly tone. I would like to help each other. How do you say… I scratch your back. You scratch mine."

Chad wants this conversation to end. Though Gaius seems nice, his charm is quite suspicious. "I think there's enough business to go around, but we're in the middle of an important meeting. How about we figure out a time to discuss promotion over coffee later?"

"Sounds suitable." Gaius pulls out a business card and hands it to Will. "You may call me anytime from that number."

Will takes the business card from Gaius and looks it over. "We'll call you when we've looked at our calendar."

Gaius grins at Will. "I cannot wait to have a more intimate relationship with you…" He turns to Chad and adds, "…with the both of you."

Chad looks to Will, who puts the business card in his pocket. He's not sure about this new guy.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Hands pounding in fear faintly echo from inside a black ornate casket. It continues and increases in speed until the casket suddenly bursts open. Theo sits up breathing heavily. He's afraid.