Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Hell, even all the dialogue doesn't belong to me. The only thing I own is what I perceive to be Kir's thoughts.
Rated PG for mild angst and thematic elements
"You comin'?"
Greg's voice interrupted Kir from her thoughts. She looked up at him, "I'll wait out here." Greg nodded and walked inside, while Tyrus hung back for a few moments, watching her, before following Greg into the house.
Kir looked away, frowning. She could still see the hurt in his eyes. Earlier, he had spoken to her in private, wanting to let her know that he really cared about her and last night wasn't a one-time thing for him. Without hesitating, Kir told him that it had just been a one night stand for her and walked away, instantly breaking his heart. But she couldn't help it. She still loved Kurt, even though he was dead. Tyrus could never replace someone like him.
She sniffed the air, still smelling as though something was burning. It was for the first time that she started to smell something else in the air: Kurt's aftershave. It was as though Kurt was right next to her. Kir's instincts told her to follow the scent and she did, into the fields of corn.
A few minutes later, Greg and Tyrus ran out of the house, having been unable to find Allison, now only to see that Kir too was gone.
Kir continued her journey through the tall stalks until she reached Luke Enright's farm. She hung back, staying concealed from the crowd of children surrounding a silo. Smoke wafted out from the top of it. A short, red-haired boy stood in front of the silo, speaking to the children. It looked as though he was convincing another boy, who looked about her age, to go into the silo. But the boy would not and after a brief argument, ran away. The red-haired boy looked to two others, who nodded to him and chased after the boy.
Kir understood now what was happening. She had learned quite a bit about the children's culture by reading that book. Once they reached the age of sin, which was 18 or 19, they had to be killed, so the children would remain pure. Kir had found it to be quite fascinating, though she could tell all her friends thought it was weird and that she was going crazy. They just didn't understand.
The red-haired boy called out to the rest of the children remaining, "Now that we have been betrayed by Jacob, we must not disappoint He Who Walks Behind The Rows."
Kir gasped, realizing that the Jacob he spoke of, the one who would not go in the silo, was Allison's brother.
The boy continued, "Who among us will next be eighteen years old?"
Suddenly, the scent of Kurt's aftershave got stronger. Kir knew it was up to her and for the first time in her life, felt special. She smiled as she stepped into view. "I will."
All the children looked back at her. The red-haired boy frowned skeptically, "Why do you come here, outsider?"
Kir walked towards him, "I've read the book and for the first time in my life, I know my purpose."
The boy raised an eyebrow, "What is your purpose?"
Kir found the words coming to her easily, as though it was someone else thinking them up instead of her, "To reject the world of the aged, before I reach the age of sin. And to join He Who Walks Behind The Rows, because Kurt is waiting for me."
The boy smiled and held out his hand, "Come with us, beautiful child, for today shall be your day."
Kir smiled back, then realized that Zane, the boy she had met earlier, was standing beside her. He took her hand and walked her to the silo.
Kir gave him one last smile, then looked up at the silo. She slipped off her white jacket and let it fall to the ground. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, but from excitement, not fear. It was almost more than she could take. Her mind dwelled only on Kurt now as she made her way up the ladder to the top. When she was at the top, she looked down at the children, then at Ezekiel, who watches her intently. She turned back to the silo and opened the doors at the top, cautiously peering inside. A fire blazed inside, orange flames dancing over the ground. The smell of Kurt's aftershave was even stronger now. It then occurred to her that she would be going the same way Kurt had: suicide. The thought comforted her somehow. She took one last deep breath, then smiled. With her true love's name on her lips, she jumped into the eternal flames…