Chapter 1 Paying Respect

Sebastian steps off the cab he had ridden on. Shoes crunching the asphalt road underneath him beside the sidewalk where the transportation had skidded into a stop favored for his desired destination. There he stands—bluish eyes roaming on the far-long nighttime, lungs breathing in the cold air of November away from the scorching sun. Long gone the sticky sweat building up on his nape instead a coat hugs his body from the bitting wind as snow gracefully dances around him against the mellow music of air.
It's favorably quiet, the place is shivering from its almost isolation if not with the lone biker hurrying pass the wide road and the guard sitting inside the small house that overviews to where he stands. The bright light inside of it comes to him in an angry glare while the lamppost near the metal gate sends a welcoming warmth in the color of low orange.

"I can't seem to understand why the need to visit at night?"

He blinks and tears off his eyes away inside the huge expansion of the place, cutting himself in his pointless staring on the entrance only where the light can help him see for the question that suddenly arises on the stillness of the night.

"But it's quiet, isn't it?"

He replied listlessly in a low voice. Hand in a quest of pushing the vehicle's door close behind his back as he walk behind the used transportation. The trunk immediately opened for him, as per what the driver had pushed something inside for it to do so, and he lifts off his large suitcase in one tug who patiently endured the rocky, boring ride.

"I'm just saying it's a bit shady this kind of times"

He heard him reply as he too took a look pass the newly painted gate not with a longing look like his but a skeptical one marring his face. His lips turned into a frown with his wrinkled face secured behind the great beard he had grown, a contrasting image that Sebastian carry himself with.

"You can't say that. The guards don't complain when it's their shift, wrong?"

He muttered back. Left hand clasped against the freezed holder of his suitcase where he can say he had packed himself too much clothes in as the other one hands a couple of bucks for his ride's fee that the other didn't immediately accepts.

"I suppose I can't argue with that—I don't have coins, would candy do sir?"

The driver replied as they both shift their gaze to the on-duty guard with his steaming cup of coffee perched on the small table and a magazine of some sort between his hands. As if feeling eyes boring holes on him, the latter looked up and saw the two. He nodded his head for a brief greeting and came back to his magazine, engrossed probably to an article or a portrait of a woman only in her bikini if the coy smile isn't a big throw off.

"No sweat, keep the change"

He smiles in a manner of understanding even though he knew there is a mass of it inside the pouch sitting on the open compartment. After his money being taken by the other, Sebastian huffs out into the cold night that comes out frosty and took off, wheeling the luggage loaded of his changing clothes for what may seem can last in two weeks. But before his steps be counted to four, the man in the cab away from the harsh weather called his attention.

"Oi, sir! How are you going home? It's night and cabs don't usually routes here"

He stared for a moment at the man who's facing him with his beaming smile. Looking triumph of something Sebastian doesn't have the knowledge of but then get the grasp of it immediately once he considered his situation. He turned both ways where the road stretched into nothingness but blindness and indeed not a single cry of engine stains the serene darkness that the absence of the sun had given the place with. His plane only landed a half of hour ago, his watch now reads '11:17', meaning his passport still sits inside the pocket of his coat and he had no means of transportation to drive for himself to the hotel he had booked himself for the next three days.
Sebastian stood still on the side walk now slowly being eaten by the bed of snow. Raven hair had been playfully ruffled by the sudden blow of wind and he grimaced when he felt his skin got taut by the negative temperature to be blame of.

"Right, mind if you wait? I wouldn't take longer than planned so you can retire for the night too"

He helplessly said. There's nothing he can do seeing his car is resting in the garage of his parent's house thousands of miles away where he is now due to stay and his friends that are no way for him to call at the moment are still back at Hawaii for the vacation he himself had arranged for them but decided to ditched right in the middle of it.

"Not in the slightest bit, sir! Here, let me help you with your bag"

He cheerily said and Sebastian was left outstand paired by a cold palm once his luggage was out of his reach. With nothing he can do, he just sighs and continued his walk to where the guardhouse is built with the loud fumbling of the other to his cab's trunk.

"A bit late this time around, aren't we?"

The immediate greeting he heard once the other is near his hearing range. Moving on his massive clothes that protects him from the cold of the month.

"Shame I know, but I'm here and there's still time"

He replied with a small curve on his lips that obviously didn't reach his eyes. It was a smile of sadness paired with guilt but still with joy because he is once again about to see him.
Sebastian waited before the bars that separates him and the guard as the latter rakes his gaze on the keys hanging off the wall. While he waits under the merciless wind, a deafening screech of metal wounded his ears. Quick as a lightning, he looks up to his side to silently curse whoever offended his hearing and saw the gate had been pushed open from the inside by a woman dressed like there's no weather about to throw her under hypothermia briskly walks out. Long hair angrily dances with the wind yet her face is out of sight hidden by the shadows of her baseball cap under the light of the lamppost.

"Huh, didn't know she was still here"

Sebastian's eyes flies back to the small open window just level to his chest when the tinkling of keys floats near his ear.

"You know her?"

He asked out absentmindedly—out of instinct and maybe a bit of curiosity since he had known the guard for almost a decade of him visiting here. They acquainted themselves into some small talks but never did he mentioned another one who he got himself close to.

"I wouldn't go as far as that, only because she always goes here in grave hours"

Sebastian lift his gaze from the keys he now securely holds, looking amused to the blue eyes of the other that also stares back with a startled expression.

"Let's pretend I didn't said that"

Silence drifts above them before an airy laugh was shared between the two. The unintentional use of words tickles their insides and made his mood up a little bit. But a surprised tone made him break to the merry interaction and so he craned his neck to look behind searching for the owner of it.

"O-oi! Wait! I'm already loaded miss!"

Sebastian watch how the driver is bent beside the window of the back seat addressing the woman who seems to have entered the vehicle without another word. Their discussion about something is not clear for they're far enough for him not to hear but the worried face of the man who ascended back to his full height concerns him.

"I understand if she's in a hurry—"

"No—no, she's not. She's fine."

He shifts on his stand, now fully facing his body to the latter who had jog up to him, hands tuck on his pocket to prevent them going against the cold. The guard sits back to his chair and once again get his neglected magazine that really had the portraits of models in bikinis to give them some sense of privacy. The driver looked back to his car and so did he.

"I'm actually here to ask if she can have the ride with you? Well, she wanted to ask"

He let himself study the other under the shadowed backseat though there's nothing to see since there's no light inside except the meter and the light on the lamppost is too far not to give him a better view.

"It's good for me, can she wait?"

"She already said she can. I guess that settles it"

A nod from the two parties and Sebastian gaze away to the silhouette figure of the other. He took off to where the metal gate is, one hand firmly holding the key given to him inside his pocket while toying a small box in another. He went pass the warm light onto the warmless darkness that follows inside. Legs striding down the stone path, feet stepping on the familiar track. He looks up from his silent parade, not bothered by the falling snow nor the way he dimly sees up front.
The sullen moon is hidden behind the clouds, a bundle of gray clouds threatening to have a small drizzle but never one did came. The stars were also out of sight, giving him no means of useful light to see his surrounding but the lamppost on the gate that by now falls into no use at all.

Sebastian took a halt in his steps under a tree, sighing by the memories that went swimming inside his mess of a mind from that small walk he made. Badly wishing the darkness he sees to be in his mind. The air then whistles giving him a shuddering touch on his exposed neck. It almost felt like a hug engulfing his whole body if not the fact that he's alone and the coat is wrapped on his body like a burrito. He faced to his left and saw another gate perched before the expanse of green grass that is by now also covered in a thin blanket of snow. He walks up to it that only falls below his hips and opened it with the key. It creaks and silence once again followed when he closed it from inside.

"Hey..."

He greeted in a small voice, nearly a whisper that only him can hear. Another small gush of wind and Sebastian immediately smiles.

"I missed you too"

He caress the smooth stone underneath his palm. The beige color of it is very much visible to his eyes even on the almost pitch black he had gotten himself in. His hand felt too cold, the low temperature on the stone numbs his palm but that didn't stop him from touching it longer with so much care and solemnity in his eyes.

"I'm not late, forgive me though since I barely made it too"

His friends must of have now been talking shit about him of nagging them off regarding this vacation trip only to suddenly disappear, flying elsewhere without further much of a word but a single note having the word of 'EMERGENCY' in a hurried scribble. Although you can't completely blame him, it is partly emergency and not really.

"I think this is the latest I went for the last ten years, no? Sorry, I almost forgotten because of the trip but I quickly took the first flight available when I saw the date"

He rounded to the uplifted-enclosed coffin with his hand still on the smooth surface, tracing the fine edges of it with his finger. In the middle of the length there he sits, back on the cold stone, hands in his pockets.
Sebastian needs to wind up, that's what he told to himself. He unquestionably needs to and also because it was a perfect excuse to run away from the responsibilities his mother wants him to shoulder. He's old enough, yes he agrees, no doubt about it. However, an arranged marriage in this generation is not something he can believe of that still exists and they aren't even the one in need of help so why does his mother is very keen for him to tie himself to someone he doesn't know and love?

"How are y—wait, that doesn't sound right. Anyway, things been good. Your restaurant is now named after your sister and she just graduated last September. Aunt Chloe? Well, she still got three months before the end of her sentence. But I think she'll be ushered out before Christmas by her behavior inside. And mother...mother still is bugging me about that girl saying it will increase our public's profile since she's a model—Huh, as if we needed more of that. But yeah, that's why I'm out here hiding from her."

It was a sigh of relief now of not being the one to worry about the stand of the restaurant because he doesn't know an ounce of clue of how to handle the said business. Good thing Francine is now capable of handling it on her own with no classes and projects and deadlines cutting in between her time on the business. Another big thorn got plucked out his heart when he heard from one of his friends that aunt Chloe's sentence got shortened but they failed to fill him when she will get her parole.
But of course it wasn't a great idea, running away, as what he had thought of, isn't that easy. He needs to stop using his credit card or there's a chance he can be tracked down, reason why he now got a handful of cash in his wallet. His phone also needs to be shut down or it'll be a piece of cake for his mother to locate him. Cutting off communication with his friends also comes with the package or what he did will only be pointless considering those guys of his are nothing but a telltale.

"But father said it's not necessary. We can help their business survive from bankruptcy even without the papers of marriage. It's clear mother only wanted me to settle down."

Perhaps old enough is not the right term. He's about to finish the calendar in four years and not a single day did he ever hint to his mother that he's dating someone or just simply taking interest to the lots of women she had pushed him to in every 'friendly lunch' as what she had insisted to call. There's nothing wrong for his mother to act like this, really. It just get annoying sometimes that he needs to be in every lunch out she arranged, no buts and all. It's not his thing, getting to meet someone because of her doesn't sit right with him. He prefers to meet the woman he will really want to spend the rest of his life with by him and himself only. And maybe going on dates might help him find this 'right girl' yet he's not bothered enough to do so because he's busy and have things to prioritize first.
Sebastian frowned from the sudden thought.

"It really is a bad idea. I have a meeting with a big client next week and here I am playing hide and seek"

He huffs from his own stupidity and kneeled before the rectangular tomb that sits above the grass. The black tile neatly pressed onto the smooth surface where his brother's name is engraved glims from the lone moonbeam that went pass between the dissipating clouds.

"Why didn't I have your big brain Herton? Maybe I wouldn't be here sulking but having a talk with mother right now if you shared your knowledge of arguments to me"

He felt dumb and crazy ranting to thin air. But who cares? There's no one here to see him and it's not like he hadn't done this in the past years.

"Enough with my dumbness, remember what I said last year? Hmm...I got it. Here"

He always visited. Not a single year passes by on of him not coming to his brother's death anniversary and although it's just only a day he goes here, on the actual day, he make sure to spend the rest of the day with him and brought things for him. Last year he have a knickknack from France that he knew his older brother will love. Last last year was a thriller book he had encountered on the city's library that now sits on his bedside table in his condo. Unread and untouched by everyone except him.
But today—tonight he brought a special thing. Carefully as he can, he fished the small box inside his coat's pocket. The things he brought to share with his brother is not for celebration but a mere gift he never got the chance to give him. However, the thing he holds between his hands is never will be classified as a gift.

"Hmm.. beautiful, isn't it?"

He lowly chuckles as the lid now neglected on top of the stone, box not really bigger than his hand.

"Sorry, I know you wll not have it to purchase an ugly accessory but, you know, this really is the most beautiful I had seen you bought. And don't fight with me, that painting will never look like you how much you insist"

What quietly looks up to him from the safety of the cushions inside the box is a complex silver ring that Sebastian actually wonders where did he bought it, wanting the same thing for himself. Seeing how the thin band connects into two loops with small glinting colored mirror mars it in an also gorgeous spiral made him think that this actually is customized. Name the prize and he'll probably drop it without an argument.

"I can't find the other one, was that the thing that had been stolen?"

A moment of silence and he grimace.

"My bad, I know it upsets you whenever this conversation sparks up. I'll zip my mouth now"

He did the honor of accompanying the serenity of the night. Letting the calm beats of his heart replace the silence before his ears. The moon had been offered to look pass the clouds and Sebastian stared in awe when the borrowed light of it stunningly reflected by the small mirrors on the ring.

°°°°°

"Thank you for waiting"

He didn't got a verbal reply, only a nod from the driver is what assured him that it wasn't really that long when he had been gone.
It's closing midnight and he's thankful that he's back to where the heat is inside the car. The heater giving him all the warmth he needed as to not get sick from the sudden change of temperature he had landed on. It is a peaceful drive back to the skyscrapers away from the lands where the cemetery is located. The low grumble of the engine and the lampposts they passed by is the only thing that entertains him out of boredom for the hour-long drive.

Well, not quite.

Sebastian once again switch his eyes to the rearview mirror and then back outside on what he can see pass the darkness after the snowflake-dropped window. It was only in seconds, not far in a blink of an eye that surely the two inside with him wouldn't notice his flickering gaze to the woman who's quietly seating at the back seat. He unnoticeably shrinks himself even more on the shotgun when the latter shifts her feet from resting side by side to crossing her ankles. Only the light on the front part of the vehicle is giving him the chance to see the vague figure behind him. The baseball cap infuriatingly doing its job on hiding its owner's face.

It's nothing big. No, he's not particularly interested to the woman who have a death wish on this cold weather with her wool shirt and jogging pants. Her hair giving her the sense of scarf for her poor neck on the bitting wind. No, it's not even remotely personal. He's just... plainly curious as to why, of course except himself, would she go there in this ungodly hour?

"Some really do love to torture themselves with horror and all"

"I see you don't fancy these kind of things"

Maybe a small conversation can make him think not too deeply about her behavior of going to the cemetery this late at night. Also to stir away his curiosity because what business does he have on how she can spend her time best anyway.

"Never at all. Who wants to get associated with ghosts, right?"

"They're not even real"

He lets out an airy laugh that got gifted by a snort and a shake of the latter's head. A bright atmosphere against the dark abyss that engulfs them before they proceed to the blinding neon lights of the city yet the silence behind him continues to deafen him.

"Here we are, subway!"

The driver cheers as a hand shakily sticks out between the seats in front. Sebastian nearly collided with it by how he is craning his neck to ease the tension from it but thankfully he dodged it in time.
The pale arm drops a couple of paper money and coins to the awaiting hand of the other before she bustle away to the small crowd on the sidewalk. Her steps are hurried on the pavement down the staircase that follows below and Sebastian still fail to see her face even with all the light that the buildings and big screens gives.

"And you, my sir, will be sleeping at the hotel just after the intersection!"

But it doesn't matter. What concerns him the most is how long will he be a free man before his mother got his throat again. Probably two days, give or take.