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Charles's ears began ringing as his new friend read another story. He felt so weak and cold. He couldn't even sit up anymore, but he could listen. He's lost track of how many stories he's heard when he looks over to the window and sees just a crack of dawn seeping into the school's attic. He's made it until morning.
For the first time in hours, Charles is able to move. He stands and slowly steps into the light. His ears still feel like they're ringing.
Then a voice comes through the ringing. "Not enjoying this one?" Edwin asks. "Carrados, the Blind Detective was just becoming quite popular in my day."
Charles turns around. He doesn't notice his corpse resting peacefully. His death was the first peaceful sleep since he was an infant… "It's not that. It's just… It's morning. I should get home. My uh mum is probably worried."
"Charles…" Edwin glances over to his new friend's new body and realizes that Charles hasn't come to the conclusion he's dead yet. "May I come with you? I may not be the best company after recently escaping Hell, but I don't believe you should be alone after last night."
"I'd like that. I'm known to be pretty aces with other people, anyways." Charles smiles at Edwin. He walks over to the door and opens it as he normally would. The nob feels strange against his hands as he turns it. It's like he can't feel it at all, but he chalks that up to the cold of last night.
The walk to Charles's home is silent compared to the laughter and comfort of the previous night. Edwin can tell something is going through Charles's mind, but he doesn't know what. "Is something the matter, Charles?" he asks.
"Yeah…I'm fine. My folks are just…they're strict okay, mate?" Charles explains. "Just don't be surprised when you hear a bunch of screaming because I didn't come home last night."
Edwin nods. He knows that if there's any screaming, it won't be at Charles. He knows they won't even see him. "I understand," he comments nonetheless.
Eventually they arrive at Charles's cramped house. The door is already unlocked as he opens it. He doesn't announce his entry. Instead, he tries to be as silent as possible. Maybe he can sneak down to the basement where his bedroom is without being noticed? He steps over the floorboard that always creaks. His dad won't fix it because it's a perfect alarm system. In the kitchen he can hear talking, and he freezes. Maybe he should intervene. That's his job. He's supposed to protect his mum. Charles's hand grips the handle to the basement door. If he was still alive, his knuckles would be white.
"I don't know where he is!" his mum voice says. She sounds like she's been crying. "None of his friends have seen him since last night." She sounds so worried.
"I told him not to leave this house!" his father screams. Charles winces. Edwin notices.
"We don't have to stay," Edwin says. "You can collect whatever you need and we can go elsewhere."
"Where?" Charles whispers for fear of being heard. "And what if he hurts my mum…"
"Charles…"
Before Edwin can finish his sentence, the sound of something glass breaking comes from the kitchen and Charles goes running to help his mum. He doesn't even take a second to assess the situation before he's squeezing in between his parents and screaming in his dad's face even though he is well acquainted with the consequences. "Don't hurt her!"
His father ignores him as though he isn't even there. "Find your poor fucking excuse for a son!" Charles's father screams at Charles's mother.
"I'm right here!" Charles snaps.
"I will." The woman whimpers. "I will!"
"Now!" Charles's father raises his hand to hit his wife when the phone rings.
His mother wipes her tears and steps over broken glass as she goes to answer it. The room falls silent as she does. When she hangs up, she looks at her husband. "He's been found," she says with a shaky breath.
"Finally." Charles's father walks past Edwin (who has been watching the entire encounter) to grab his coat, but his mother doesn't move.
"He's been found dead…"
"What?"
A silence falls over the home as no one knows what to say or do. Edwin is the first to speak even if Charles is the only one who can hear. "Back at the school…when you could see me, I knew it was too late. But I simply…I did not want to scare you."
Charles nods. "Doesn't feel like I imagined. Being dead. Feels…normal, doesn't it?"
"I sincerely wish we could have been friends for longer, but now that you are aware of your circumstances Death will come for you. You should go with her when she arrives."
"What if I don't want to go somewhere else yet? What if I stay here for a bit with you instead?"
"Then you will always be running from her. Also, I'm not good with other people. As I said this morning, I just escaped Hell, so I'm out of practice to be perfectly frank. So when the blue light comes, you stay and I go." Edwin turns to leave.
"Well, I'm aces with other people," Charles continues the conversation as Edwin sighs. "And I'm pretty chuffed you got out of Hell, mate. That sounds hard. Nice job."
Edwin turns back to look at Charles. "Are you not afraid of me? I said I have been to Hell."
Charles looks over to his parents and back to Edwin. "I don't know what Hell was like, mate. You haven't told me why you were there, but…" He looks back over to his parents. "I lived every day afraid, and the happiest I've been in my life is dying. Yeah." He looks back at Edwin. "Looks like you're stuck with me."