Act 17
Sonny was leaning against a tree, it was time for him and Dustin meeting. Dustin had promised him that he would come to the forest outside of Salem everyday with news about his family and his beloved husband. While he stood there he couldn't dampen the uneasy feeling spreading through his body, something was wrong, something wasn't right in the world.
- I dreamt my lover came and found me dead, strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think! And breathed such life with kisses on my lips, that I revived, and was an emperor. Ah me! How sweet is love itself possessed, when but loves shadows so rich in joy!
At that moment he saw Dustin walking towards him and he jumped up from the ground and ran to meet his friend.
- How doth my lord? Is my father well? How fares my William? For nothing can be ill, if he be well.
- His body sleeps in Dimeras monument, and his immortal part with angels lives. I saw him laid low in his kindred's vault, and took post to tell you: O, pardon me for bringing these ill news my friend.
No! No! It couldn't... No! His lover no longer on this earth? Dead, buried, stowed away? No more life in that form of his? No more heartbeats to keep Sonny the strength to live himself?
- I will hence there tonight.
- I do beseech you, Sonny, have patience: your looks are pale and wild and do import some misadventure.
- Leave me and let me do the thing I bid.
He wouldn't look at Dustin's pleading eyes, begging him not to do something stupid, to treasure his own life and value. But what he couldn't understand that without William in this world, he had no life anymore.
- Well William, I will lie with thee tonight. I do remember an apothecary in town, sharp misery had worn him to the bones: O this man must sell poison to me.
Sonny ran, as fast as he could, he could already see Salem in his sight, but he needed to be with William now, as fast as he could. He ran in to the street of Salem, hid from the police and people wandering around this sadden night.
- As I remember, this should be the house. What, ho! Apothecary!
Sonny screamed when he stormed in to the store, he had no times for pleasantries or kindness, his beloved was lying cold and alone in an empty mausoleum and he needed to be there with him as soon as he could.
- Who calls so loud?
A old, broken man stepped out to the desk and Sonny knew that this man had lost all moral, all hope and would give to him what he wanted, with enough money.
- Come hither man. I see that thou art poor: hold, there is forty dollars: let me have a vial of poison, such soon speeding gear as will disperse itself through all the veins that the life weary taker may fall dead.
- Such mortal drugs I have; but Salem's law is death to any that utters them.
- Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness and fear'st to die? Famine is in thy cheeks, need and oppression starveth in thine eyes. Contempt and beggary hands upon thy back; the world it not thy friend nor the worlds law; the world affords no law to make thee rich; then be not poor, but break it and take this.
Sonny didn't care that he played this man, that he used the man's hunger to help himself. He would gladly take the man's sin as to give him poison and would answer to everything god asked of him.
- My poverty, but not my will, consents.
- I pay thy poverty, and not thy will.
The apothecary turned his back towards him and opened a locked cabin and a appeared again with a vial in the brightest of red.
- Put this in any liquid thing you will, and drink it off, and if you had the strength of twenty men, it would dispatch you anyway.
- There is thy dollars, worse poison to men's souls, doing more murders in this loathsome world, than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. Farewell: buy good and get thyself in flesh. Come, poison go with me. To Williams grave; for there must I use thee.
Act 18
Father Eric stood in his church, with feelings of fear and condemn marking his soul. He had just put his sisters son to his final rest and comforted his sister as the liar he was. And now he was waiting for JJ to appear, a dear friend of both William and Sonny, that would deliver the letter to Sonny about Williams supposedly death and life.
- Holy father Eric, hello.
- This is the voice of lord JJ, welcome back, what says Sonny? Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter.
JJ meet his eyes and the sorrow in them made Eric take a step back, it couldn't be, no it couldn't.
- I was visiting the sick boy of my friend, and the police finding me suspected infectious disease, sealed up the doors and would not let me fort; so that my journey to Sonny there was stayed.
- Who bare my letter, then, to Sonny?
- I could not send it, here it is again, nor get a messenger to bring it thee, so fearful were they of infection.
No, this couldn't be happening. If Sonny heard the news that William was dead and not knowing it wasn't forever, who knew what he would do? He must protect his beloved sisters sons husband anyway he could.
- Unhappy fortune! The letter was not nice but full of charge, of dear importance and neglecting it may do much danger. JJ, go hence, get me an iron crow and bring it straight to me.
- I'll go and bring it to thee.
- Now must I to the monument go; within three hours will William wake; he will beshrew me much that Sonny hath had no notice of these accidents; but I will send JJ again and keep William at my church till Sonny come; poor living corpse, closed in a dead man's tomb!
Act 19
Brian stood before the monument that was harboring his almost husbands soul, he could not believe it was true? So many years he had longed to own Williams as his own, and now when he had been so close William had yet again managed to escape him.
- Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.
He laid the flowers down next to the monument and cast on final wish filled eyes at were William laid but then he heard footsteps approach, who else but him would wander the graveyard this time at night? It could be a bandit, trying to pray on the innocent dead final rest. He made a hasty retreat and hid behind a grave, wanting to make sure whoever it was would not disturb his lovers place.
Sonny turned towards Dustin who was caring the wrenching iron, he had managed to convince his friend to help him with this deadly mission.
- Give me the mattock and the wrenching iron. Hold, take this letter; early in the morning see thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Dustin took the letter that Sonny gave him and then he had an armful of Dustin's in his arms and he hugged his friend back as hard as he could. He wished it didn't have to be like this, but without William on this earth there was nothing left for him to live for.
- Live and be prosperous Dustin: and farewell.
Sonny managed with determination and sheer will power open the stone door that separated him from his lovers body. Therefore he was too busy to hear what was going on around him. Brian starred in confusion at the man that was trying to break in to the Dimeras tomb, he did not look like a thief or bandit, no he looked like a man of wealth but when the moonlight hit the man face he saw who it was.
- That is that banished haughty Kirakis, that murdered my love's cousin, with which grief, it is supposed that fair William died; and here he comes to do some villainous shame, to the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.
Sonny spun around when he heard the crack of a twig and come face to face with Brian, one of the arrogant and rich people in the town who followed EJ like a dog.
- Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Kirakis! Can vengeance be pursued further than death? Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee: obey and go with me; for thou must die.
- I must indeed; and therefore came I hither. Fly hence and leave me: put not another sin upon my head, by urging me to fury: O, be gone!
Sonny just wanted him to go away, just leave him to his grief. But he would let no man hinder him from getting to his lovers side, so if Brian wouldn't leave then Sonny wouldn't hesitate to take the man's life. For what was another sin on his heart, when he soon would be lying dead at his lovers side?
- I do defy thee, and apprehend thee for a felon here.
- Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!
And with that they lunged at each other, but Sonny knew how to do this know, his soul had been tainted already with dead man's blood, so his knife was already out and had found its way to Brian's chest before he could react.
- O, I am slain! If thou be merciful, open the tomb, lay me with William.
Sonny looked confused at the dead man at his feet's, why would Brian want to spend his dead eternity by Williams side? Then he remembered a conversation he had with Neil a time ago.
- Noble Brian! What said my Neil, I think he told me Brian should have married William: said he not so? Or am I mad, hearing him talk of William, so I think it was so?
Sonny wanted to scream, disappear into himself, had he just killed the future husband of his dear William? But he couldn't, he had things to do. But he would honor Brian's last request so he dragged the man into the tomb, and placed his body in a gentle rest at the floor next to the entrance and then turned his eyes inwards, the stone bed in the middle of the tomb. And there upon a bed of flowers laid his lover, his husband, his soul mate. Sonny walked over, with heavy grief in his steps and sat himself down, beside his lover one last time. He was still as beautiful as the last time he had seen him, still managed to capture his heart completely. He couldn't help himself when he leaned over and kissed his husband one more time.
- O my love! My husband! Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: thou art not conquered; beauty's ensign yet. Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, and deaths pale flag is not advanced there. Ah dear William, why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous, and that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in dark to be his lover? For fear of that, I will stay with thee; and never from this palace of dim night depart again: here, will I remain, O here will I set up my everlasting rest. Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! And lips, the door of breath, seal with a righteous kiss. Here's to my love!
And with those final words as farewell Sonny raised the vial to his mouth and drank it all. The poison burned his troth and he gasped, couldn't breathe.
- O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick.
He learned forward, ignorering the pain, ignorering the feeling of his body dying and pressed his lips against Williams one last time, this was the way to die, with his lovers lips against his own. When he couldnt ignore the pain, the part of him that was dying he fell down next to William and smiled and whispered to himself:
- Thus with a kiss I die.
Act 20
Father Eric hurried as fast as he could when he finally entered the grave yard, he had been slowed down from people needing relief from the grief at the news of Williams death, but now he was finally here. He just hoped that William hadn't woken up and was scared and alone. He had sent JJ to find Sonny again, so soon everything would be okay and lovers would reunite again. When he got closer to the tomb he heard someone footsteps near and froze.
- Who's there?
- It is me Dustin.
And Dustin appeared from the dark, behind the tomb and his haunted and grief filled eyes scared Eric to his core.
- Tell me Dustin, what does bring you to Dimeras monument?
- My friend, one that loves William.
No, oh sweet god no, Sonny couldn't have heard about the news yet, he wasn't even in Salem, it couldn't be happening, he refused to believe.
- Who is it?
- Sonny Father Eric.
- How long hath he been there?
- Full half an hour.
And then Eric knew what he would find when he entered the tomb. Had he not married the both himself? Seen the love they shared, a love that was stronger than death itself. But he couldn't let William wake up to that, he had to enter himself.
- Wait here, I will enter the tomb.
He turned away from Dustin and picked up his flashlight and entered the whole that someone had made to get inside.
- Sonny? Alack, alack what blood is this which stains the stony entrance?
Eric had never felt this close to actually stop believing in god, because at the floor inside of the tomb laid Brian dead, stabbed by a knife and there, where dear William was resting, was he now not alone, but the pale form of Sonny shared his place. And in that moment William opened his eyes and sat up, not noticing Sonny who laid at his others side and turned his eyes towards a grief struck Eric.
- O Father Eric! Where is my lord? I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Sonny?
And then Williams eyes turned downwards, he must have felt some warmth, some presence before Eric could answer and Eric saw him freeze at the sight of Sonny lying dead next to him. But before Eric could say something he heard noises from outside, Brian must had have someone with him who had fetched the guards.
- I hear some noise. William come from this nest of death, contagion and unnatural sleep: a greater power than we can contradict hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away. Thy husband in thy arms there lies dead; and Brian too. Come, I'll dispose of thee among to your mother's arms, for the watch is coming, come, go, good William. I dare no longer stay.
But Eric already knew it was pointless, in the same way he had known he would find Sonny dead. If either of them died the other couldn't live on.
- Go, get thee hence, for I will not leave.
William watched Eric leave the tomb and he looked heartbreakingly down on his lovers form. This was not suppose to happened. He was suppose to wake up to alive and with his beloved Sonny, not to this dead corpse. But if Sonny wasn't among the living anymore, then he would die for real this time. He saw the red vial clutched in Sonny's hand and pulled it loose and tears began to fall from his eyes when he realized what it was.
- What's here? A cup, closed in my true loves hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end: O churl! Drunk it all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative.
William leaned himself over Sonny's body and kissed his lips, tried to find a drop of poison, anything that would take him to his love.
- Thy lips are still warm.
Suddenly he heard the noises Eric had talked about and realized he hadn't got time. His fingers which was gripping Sonny's waist felt the knife who Sonny always had and he smiled to himself, the dagger that had killed his cousin would now end his life.
- O happy dagger!
He pulled it from its place and after one last look at Sonny's handsome face he took a deep breath and trust it into his chest.
- Let me die...
Act 21
The watcher with the young man Liam in his tow entered the tomb, were Liam had insisted that his friend Brian had been attacked by the banished Sonny.
- Pitiful sight! Here lies the lord slain, and William bleeding, warm and newly dead, who here hath lain these two days buried? Go, tell the police, run to the Dimeras, raise up the Kirakis.
The watcher watched Liam run out of the tomb and turned his eyes towards the sad sight in front of him. William, was resting with his head at Sonny's chest, like they had shared a last embrace. Footsteps made him turn around and his other college stepped in with a young man next to him.
- Here is Sonny's man, I found him in the churchyard.
- Hold him in safety, till the police come hither.
And then his third college appeared with what has must been a priest, and the watcher wondered what he had gotten himself in to.
- Here is a friar, that trembles, sighs and weeps: he was coming from this churchyard side.
- That's a great suspicion: stay the friar too.
The waiting was excruciating for Eric, he couldn't take his eyes of Williams still form, if he was not mistaken, he could almost see Williams hand in Sonny, like they were walking down some street hand in hand, happy and together. Then Roman entered the tomb and Eric turned sad eyes towards him, it was his grandson lying there, and sure he had lost him a day ago, but now this was happening. But before he could say a word at the sight before him Nicole and EJ entered the tomb.
- What fear is this which startles in our ears?
EJ asked when he entered the tomb but froze with Nicole at his side at the sight that meet his eyes. Roman opened his mouth to explain, but what really was there to say?
- Here lies Lord Brian slain, and Sonny dead; and William, dead before, is warm and newly killed. We will search, seek and know how this foul murder comes.
The watchman felt it was time to speak his words, because he wanted to leave, not be here in the tomb of dead.
- Here is father Eric and slaughtered Sonny's man; with instrument upon them, fit to open these dead men's tomb.
- O heavens! O wife, look how our son bleeds! Kirakis is empty, and it is sheated in my sons chest!
Roman felt the situation was slipping from his control, not that he would even know what to do. He had just lost his grandson and now this. A bleeding William, a dead Kirakis and a murdered Brian. And that's when Justin Kirakis entered the tomb.
- Come, Kirakis, for thou art early up, to see thy son and heir more early down.
- Alas Roman, my wife is dead tonight; grief of my son's exile hath stopped her breath: what further woe conspires against mine age?
Roman suddenly felt so tired, not only had the man lost his wife, now he had lost his heir, his first born son. Was this town cursed?
- Look and thou shalt see.
- What manners is in this? To press before thy father to a grave?
- Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, til we can clear these ambiguities, and know their spring, their head, their true descent; and then will I be general of your voews, and lead you even to death: meantime forbear and let mischance be slave to patience. Bring fort the parties of suspicion.
Father Eric knew in that moment that he would speak the truth, the people who had been involved in this gruesome affair, where dead and he didn't care anymore what could happen to him. Something had died in him when he had laid his eyes upon his dead beloved sisters son.
- I will be brief, for my short date of breath is not so long as is a tedious tale. Sonny, there dead, was husband to William, and he, there dead, was Sonny's faithful husband to. I married them; and their stolen marriage day was Nicks dooms day, whose untimely death lead to banished the new made groom from the city, for whom and not Nick, William pined. You EJ, to remove that siege of grief from him, betrothed and would have married him perforce to Lord Brian. The he comes to me, and with wilds looks, bid me devise some mean to rid him from this second marriage, or in my church would he kill himself. I gave to him, a sleeping potion; which so took effect as I intended, for it wrought on him the form of death: meantime I write to Sonny, that he should hither come as this dire night, to help to take William from his borrowed grave, being the time potions force should cease. But he which bore my letter, JJ, was stayed by accident and yesternight retuned my letter back. Then all alone at the prefixed hour of his walking, came I to take him from his kindreds vault; meaning to keep him closely in my church, till I conveniently could send to Sonny: but when I came, some minute ere the time of his awaking, here untimely lay the noble Brian and true Sonny dead. William wakes; and I entreated him come forth, and bear this work of heaven with patience: but then a noise did scare me from the tomb; and he, too desperate, would not go with me, but as it seems, did violence on himself. All this I know; and to the marriage her grandmother is privy: and if aught this miscarried by my fault, let my old life be sacrificed, some hour before his time, unto the rigour of severest law.
Roman felt his heart clench painfully at the pain his grandson must have gone through, had he been so blind that a simple banishment had cost William his life? But he needed more answers, he was the law of this town and needed to know all the facts.
- Where's Sonny's man? What can he say in this?
- I brought my friend news of Williams death; and then in post he came to Salem, to this place, to this same monument. This letter he early bid me give his father, and I bid me farewell, and I departed and left him here.
- Give me the letter; I will look on it. Where is Brian's friend, that raised the watch? Liam, what were your friend doing at this place?
- He came with flowers to strew his lovers grave; and bid me to go away and so I did: anon comes one with light to open the tomb; and by and by my friend drew on him; and then I ran away to call the watch.
Roman read the letter that Sonny had written to his father, about his love for William, his fear of his family's wrath, the moment when he killed Nick, the banishment, his feelings about Williams dead, and his own. So this is what this cursed feud had led to, the loss of two young men who only did the most selfless thing in the world, fall in love.
- This letter doth make good to Eric's words, their course of love, the tidings of his death: and here he writes that he did by a poison of a poor apothecary, and therewithal came to this vault to die and lie with William. Where be these enemies? Dimera! Kirakis! See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heavens finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too have lost a grandson to: all are punished.
Roman watched as Justin and EJ turned towards each other, both with tear in their eyes, the lost of both their sons, too much pain to bear, to carry any hate.
- O brother Kirakis, give me thy hand: this is my sons jointure, for no more can I demand.
- But I can give thee more: for I will raise him statue in pure gold; that while Salem by that name is known, there shall no figure at such rate be set as that of true and faithful William.
- As rich shall Sonny's by William lie; poor sacrifices of our enmity!
"A glooming peace this morning with it brings; the sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; some shall be pardoned, and some punished: for never was a story of more love than this of William and his Sonny."