Author's Note: Probably my most violent chapter. This chapter may be sad for some people and I encourage everyone to hear the song that will be played in the chapter. It really fits. Also, if you saw the latest episode for Regular Show (The one with the egg hat), anyone realize how it used "I Need a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler, when I had used it in my earlier chapter (Chapter 5) before the episode even premiered? Coincidence?
The Funeral
APRIL 9th 2011
Today was the day: High Fives Ghost's funeral. I can't believe I'm actually saying this.
The entire park was closed off for the whole day. We set up a nice spot to hold the service near one of the park's larger trees. One of the oldest actually. I sometimes saw HFG hanging out there during his free time, away from Muscleman. There were enough seats for all of his friends and family that could attend. Unfortunately, only HFG's father and brother were the only family that still lived in the mortal world as ghosts. Everyone else had gone to their eternal rest. He did however have a lot of his friends come and surprisingly, a lot of them were pretty cool. Better than Muscleman. It made me wonder why I never saw him hang out with them more often.
We couldn't find any good entertainment. And even if we did, we wouldn't know what would be appropriate. All of us at the park really didn't know much about HFG and his interest. He was always too busy hanging out with Muscleman and barely hung out with the rest of us as much.
Ugh I'm getting tired of saying his name…Muscleman you bastard.
It was 2:00pm, the service would start at 2:30; half of the guest came early, including HFG's ghost father and brother. They were all depressed and really didn't talk much unless they were spoken to, then they would let it all out and cry in the person shoulder. I couldn't blame them, his leaving was so untimely. I wondered what would have happen if we hadn't used "The Filter". If there could have been another way, HFG wouldn't have been sucked up along with the other spirits and could still be here.
Rigby and I weren't big fans of dressing in formal. The only time we would, would be at weddings and funerals. Normally at funerals we just wore a white dress shirt, black tie, and black jacket. This time though, we actually wore pants with them. Pants! I don't think Rigby ever wore pants and the last time I wore pants was when I hung out with the blonds. So today we gave HFG our fullest respect by wearing pants.
The wind was blowing at a calm rate giving a slight chill in the air. It was mostly cloudy and a glimpse of the sun would show up every so often. I crossed my arms to try and keep warm. Benson walked up to me dressed in formal.
"Do we have everything together?" he asked.
"Yeah, we just need to wait for the other guests," I scanned the area to see if there was anyone else on the way. "If there are any more…"
"We'll give them fifteen more minutes then we'll start."
I nodded and Benson walked away. My eyes started to water up. I wiped my eyes before one tear could run on my face. Just then, I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I peeked over my shoulder to see Eileen's face and her arm extended.
How was she able to reach me?
Then I looked down to see Rigby lifting her up so that she could pat my shoulder. Margaret was behind them, giggling to herself.
"Eileen! Margaret! What are you doing here?" I said happily.
"Rigby told me about the whole thing, then I told Margaret," Eileen said.
"We thought that since we saw High Fives…go, we should attend to send our condolences, even if we didn't know him," Margaret added.
"This is very well appreciated you guys! Thank you!"
"You guys are our friends. It's no problem at all."
I hugged Margaret and Eileen with tears forming in my eyes.
"We are here today to honor the memory of High Five Ghost. He…he was one of my oldest employees, next to Skips. He always did what he was supposed to and even if he was hanging with a certain person, who's name shall not be said, he was still able to get work down. I just wish…" Benson paused, about to choke up. "I just wish I could've have known him more as a friend. He truly is someone we can never forget." And with that Benson sat down in his seat next to Skips, who patted his back in comfort. The preacher we hired had already given his part at the beginning of the service but he wasn't that good. He barely knew anything about High Fives, even though we told him who he was; he still managed to screw it up. It was up to all of us at the park to make up for that disgrace of a preacher, by giving our best when speaking for HFG.
There were two columns of seating and in front of that was the tree. There, hung multiple pictures of HFG. The first time he arrived at the park, some pictures of him hanging out with his friends (Including Muscleman) and the portrait that me and the rest of us took together in our formal wear. There were also a collection of bouquets; most of them white symbolizing HFG's spirit.
We all waited for the next person to walk up and say their part, but everyone just stayed still. Not a sound could be heard; only the wind that blew and the leaves that rustled. I'm guessing everyone was trying to think of what to say. One person went up but cried before even finishing a sentence and walked off. That just made everyone else more nervous to speak. It's hard to speak at a funeral. Sometimes your feelings get the best of you and you literally can't say a thing. Two more people spoke up, each talking about the good times they had with HFG and how much they missed him. They were both pretty touching and made me laugh, especially when they said that when they first met him they'd always use him for pranks and how he used to be the life of the party, with his unique skill at juggling multiple items and being able to slide float through people, just to freak them out. The jokes helped lighten things up.
One other guy walked up and tried to think of something to say. He then cleared his throat and began to speak.
"High Fives Ghost was someone that I can always say, was someone I wish I could be. He…" He stopped midway and squinted his eyes down the center of the aisle of seating, almost as if he saw something…or someone.
"Muscleman?" He said in shock. All of us turned our heads and gasped at who we saw. It was Muscleman. He still had the same haircut as before but it seemed like he aged a little and his expression was dark. He wore a white button up, with a black jacket and dress pants and shoes. My blood began to boil. What the fuck was he doing here!
I quickly got up from chair in fury. I approached him and shoved him, causing him to stumble a few feet.
"Why the fuck are you here Muscleman?" I yelled.
"To see my bro loser! I heard people talking about it." He shoved me harder and caused me to stumble more than he did. "Who do you think you are pushing Mordecai? Who are you trying to impress?"
I was so enraged that I could barely come out with the right words. "I'm not trying to impress anyone," I forced myself. "I just want you gone from here!" And with that I charged him and tackled him onto the ground. I could hear his head smack down on the hardened ground. I grabbed him by his jacket collar and jerked him around continuously but it was cut short when he flipped over and knocked me off. I was on the ground wondering what just happened. I looked up at the sky and then to the side seeing Muscleman about to kick me while I'm down, doing his terrible, annoying scream.
"Both of you knock it out!" Someone shouted. He ran up to Muscleman and tried to subdue him, but Muscleman pushed him to the ground and tried to advance towards me. I picked myself from off the ground, and as his fist was about to make contact with my face, I caught it and pushed his arm back. He tried to hit me with his other fist but I did the same to that one as well. We had our hands locked up, and like bucking deer, tried to force the other one back. I had had it. I had it with him and how he acted, how much of a jerk he was, how much his scream annoyed the fuck out of me, how he sold us out and stole money from innocent preachers…how he used High Fives departure to get away with it all. Once all that added up, a feeling of strength, coursed through my veins and brought out the beast within me. I forced Muscleman on the ground, grabbed his head, and slammed it on the ground harder than before. This time, I knew I heard something break. A devilish smile formed on my face. I was hurting him now.
He rubbed the back of his head in pain, but that wasn't the smartest move. It left me open to sucker punch him in his jaw. My fist made contact with his bumpy skin as it flapped in response to my punch. He tried to spit out his blood, but I didn't give him a chance. I punched him once again, but this time in his pig like nose. His nose began to bleed, but I wasn't going to give him time to recover. The sounds of everyone else shouting at us to stop was drowned out by the sounds of Muscleman groaning in pain. Hearing him groan like that proved he wasn't the tough guy he made himself out to be. That he was nothing but a punk. He started to cry.
"Oh now you want to cry?" I taunted. I punched him in his mouth and I could see that when he opened his mouth, it was filled with blood and his some of his teeth were on his tongue about to be swallowed. I punched him once more so he could swallow them involuntarily. I felt a strong pair of hands grabbed me by shoulder. I could tell they were Skips.
"Let it go Mordecai. He's not worth it," He said.
"No…I NEED to finish this!" I was able to shake off his hands like they were nothing and freed one hand off of Muscleman to push him aside. I was in shock that I actually did that to him, a big guy like Skips. He was just as surprised as I was and so was everyone else for what I could see for those quick seconds.
Anger truly changes you.
I grabbed Muscleman by his throat and looked him in the eyes. "Why? Why did you do this?" I said in anger.
"I don't know what you talking about," he mumbled. The blood in his mouth made him gurgle a little bit.
"You used High Five Ghost as an excuse to do what you did! You damn near sold us out and stole money from a bunch of preachers! Now, you come here expecting that you are going to be welcome and act like nothing happened?"
"Listen bro-"
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME BRO!"
"Mordecai, I-"
"You know what; I don't even want to hear it! I've had it with your crap! I've had it." I put my hands around his throat and squeezed. The bones in his neck started to stiffen as he tried to gain breath, but I didn't allow him the chance. His disgusting breath blew in my face as he heaved in my face: Big mistake for him. I squeezed harder, content with every time the bastard squirmed. I was close, the bones in his neck loosened a little, as if he was giving up.
Just a little more.
"MORDECAI! GET OFF!" Like being pulled by a tornado, I was lifted off Muscleman by Skips.
"I almost had him!" I yelled.
"And if you did, we would've had another funeral on our hands. That's the last thing we need. Just…just go in the house and cool down," he said. He looked at me with understanding eyes, as if he felt the same way I did, but in a way also telling me, "Not like this." As I made my way to the house, I was patted on the shoulder by one of High Fives friends; he nodded in approve mouthing, "It's okay." Everyone else nodded their heads as well.
I sat in the living room, sniffling every now and again. Here I thought Muscleman was ruining the funeral, but I was at fault too. I could've kept my cool…well I could've. I heard the doorknob turn, and small feet walking in.
"Mordecai, you in here?" Rigby asked.
"Yeah, hey man."
"Hey, you feeling okay?"
"I don't know dude. This whole day just took a strange turn."
"Dude you should know this by now. Since when is anything not strange around here?"
"Yeah, I guess," I chuckled. Rigby sat down next to me.
"You know, the whole time you were beating up Muscleman, people were trying to pull you off."
"Really?"
"Yeah man. You must've really been in the zone. A lot of people tried stopping you but you were just locked on to Muscleman, as if you totally forgot the rest of your surroundings."
"Wow, I feel terrible."
"Don't be dude. Some were actually cheering you on. HFG would be proud."
"You really think so?"
"Well yeah, if he knew what Muscleman did."
There was a short pause after that.
"You know, the police are going to take him in for questioning and try to give the money back to all those preachers."
"Well good."
"Mordecai, the service isn't over."
"What? I thought it did."
"Everyone wanted to hear your eulogy."
I felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside."
"No one blames you for what you did Mordecai. Neither do I."
"…" I started tearing up again, but this time, in happiness. "Aw come here dude!" I went up to him and gave him a big bro hug. He hugged back. I was lucky to have a friend like him. We got up from the couch and went to the door.
"You know I realized something Mordecai."
"What?"
"After seeing you take down Muscleman, I know for sure I can never beat you at punchies."
"Hahaha, definitely!" I faked a punch toward him and flinched harder than he used to. I laughed and patted him on the back.
"Hey everyone, Mordecai is here!" Rigby yelled as we stepped out. Everyone stood in attention and watched me as I went up to the center to make my speech. I cleared my throat and took time to gather myself. Everyone had their eyes on me, encouraging me to speak. I gained the courage to talk.
["New World" by Charice]
"Well…I gotta admit this is kinda weird. I knock a dude out and here I am giving a eulogy." Collective chuckles could be heard. "I really didn't know High-Five Ghost…well not as a friend, but more as a co-worker. The time I did spend with him, wasn't really much. I can now see that after hearing all of your words for him, I realize that I was missing a lot."
Staring the stars, feeling the winds every time
I cannot stop thinking of you, since you've been gone away from here
Shedding the tears, crying out loud for once
Cause you are such a precious part of me
And there's no one who'll fill my broken heart
"I wish I could've known him as a friend or hung out with him when he was by himself to see just what a good guy he was…It's funny. I barely knew him, yet I fought for his honor. I guess deep down he was always my friend."
Oh but now, I have realized
The reason why I live in this world,
Even you have left me here alone,
I found the way where I can get hope for the future
"Everyone in this park is like family in some way and with that he was close to me and to everyone else here. I can understand everyone being saddened by his departure, but there is a bright side to this. He finally gets to rest. Finally gets to have peace in the great beyond and see all of his old friends again. I can't imagine what it must be like for all of you, but trust me when I say this; he's in all of us and always will be."
Baby, I'm gonna see the new world
With nothing but the love you gave me
Only thing I can do, is to trust the time we shared
Baby, I'm gonna go to the new world
With nothing but the strength you gave me
There's nothing to be afraid of,
I know your love will lead me where I should be
Even if it is dark and hard time for me,
I don't wanna give up my hope
Everyone stood up from their seats and clapped. I stepped away from the center and walked down the aisle. There, all of everyone; Rigby, Margaret, Eileen, Skips, Benson, all gathered around me saying, "You did good." And giving me hugs. Even me and Rigby shared a hug. I started to cry. Tears of joy, of relief, of sadness. I felt happy for High Fives. I knew he'd be okay, but it was still hard that he was gone. I dug my face into Skips' shoulder and cried for a good five minutes, knowing I was possibly soaking his fur, but he was cool with it. Everyone would leave with high spirits.
The moon was of a waning crescent, and the sky was filled with stars. Me, in only my white shirt and tie sat on the porch stairs of the house, taking in the beauty of the night sky and looking back on what a big day I had. Margaret and Eileen stayed so that we could all just have time to hang out and reflect on the day and how we would progress from here. Rigby joined me on the porch and started stargazing, so did Margaret and Eileen. We didn't say anything to each other. We just looked at the sky. I then saw something truly beautiful. I saw what looked to be a constellation of HFG's hand, almost as if he was giving a high-five to us from up above. I raised my hand and opened my palm. Rigby, Margaret, and Eileen saw me in confusion, then looked up and saw what I saw. They too put their hands in the air and opened their palms. We all gave one last high-five, to High-Five Ghost.
Pray for all the things in this world
And believe in the power of our love
Sing a song of tomorrow
Now we are not alone
And we come to life again
A new day will come to you, for you and me
Baby, I'm gonna see the new world
With nothing but the love you gave me
Only thing I can do, is to trust the time we shared
Baby, I'm gonna go to the new world
With nothing but the strength you gave me
There's nothing to be afraid of,
I know your love will lead me where we should be
Even if it is dark and hard time for us,
I don't wanna give up our hope
I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter and I'm even sorrier if the next one will come late as well. Let's just say theirs this new game coming out (Mass Effect 3) and I will try with all my might to pry myself away from it so I won't forget to add a new chapter XD No need to worry though. I'll be considerate and try to update as soon as possible. And, I encourage all of you, to give one last high-five to High-Five Ghost.