Here sits a Diner. A Diner full of the Dead. The air is heavy, the place silent.
The front door, desperately in need of oil, creaks open.
A man walks in. His head is down, shaggy Black hair covers his eyes. He is dressed in a white button up shirt and black slacks. His tie is Crimson with a Windsor Knot. A small silver chain connects it to his shirt, the pin on the chain is the Shape of a Snowflake.
If anyone ever asked him his favorite season, he would say Winter. Sadly, that question will remain unasked.
He steps gingerly over the corpses on the floor, sighing at the sight of them. He thinks to himself about the wasted potential surrounding him. He surveys the scene, taking an object from each body. Wallets, watches, earrings, etc. He moves to the booth closest to the door and sits down. He then lays the objects on the table in an orderly line. He begins to touch each in turn. Feeling the weight of the wristwatch in his hands, leafing through the wallets, he breaths in the smell of their former owners. His green eyes roll back into his head as it begins to loll from side to side. He breathes in deep and holds it. He begins to tap his fingers rhythmically on the table as he exhales.
He begins to roll up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing forearms covered in blue and black markings. The markings are names. Names of those that he has met along his journey from its beginning. They are the names of those he has taken from this world.
"You can come out now", his voice like a whisper, "they've gone from this place."
The air in front of him begins to shiver. It begins to take shape. The form of a man appears. He is old, with long gray hair pulled into a ponytail and a mustache.
"Barlowe. It has been a long time my friend".
"I am not your friend, Bayne. Friend is not a word I use to define myself in any capacity. Woe onto you if you truly feel that you mean more to me than the puddle you are sitting in. Also, you reek of fear." Barlowe snorted. "I find that to be delicious."
Bayne shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.
"Ahem, I've come from on high to bring you a message. He has use for you again. He said that your time of wandering is done. He needs you eliminate an obstacle from his path."
"He wants me to handle Nazareph. The one He Christened as the Righteous Frost. The one He Handpicked to fill the spot left by Lucius when he lost his edge and later his head. Correct?" Barlowe said, already knowing the answer.
Bayne nodded his head. He looked around the Diner. The sight of the dead made him uncomfortable. Barlowe could see it in his mannerisms. A twitch here, a shake there. He was chewing his lip in nervous anticipation of getting to once again fade into the ether.
Barlowe wanted to see him sweat.
He closed his eyes and lifted his hands to his face. He opened his mouth and caught the small blue flame that escaped. He caressed the flame in his hands, like a small pet. It began to divide. He threw the flames into the air.
Bayne watched as the flickering blue lights drifted through the diner, settling down on the corpses strewn on the floor.
The bodies began to stir.
"Please...." he said.
Barlowe smiled at him. His teeth like daggers in his mouth only they were too long. His lips began to bleed, the blood ran down his chin and began to pool on the table.
"No. Please...I only came to bring the message..." Bayne cried out as the bodies moved to surround him. They twitched horribly, almost as if they were in horrible pain. Their eyes were solid white, their mouths hung open, teeth gnashing in the open holes.
"Goddamn you...do the job you son of a bitch. Do the job and then go away forever!" Bayne screamed as a hand groped for his shoulder.
He snapped his fingers and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
Barlowe looked unto the faces of the dead. They stood motionless, awaiting his command.
With a flick of his wrist they crumpled to the ground.
He sighed again, a sigh of pure annoyance.
He watched as four new names appeared on the inside of his forearm. He said goodbye to his new friends and assured them that they would never be forgotten. They belonged to him now. The time would come when he would call on them again. Before the journey was ended he would call on them all.
They were all one inside of him.
He stood up, fixed his shirt sleeves and walked to the door. He stepped outside into the rain. He looked up into the sky and spoke.
"I'll do this deed. Sadly, the cost will be greater than even You can imagine."
He began to walk down the street towards a dark alleyway.
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