CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Monday, October 31st

KANDICE WOKE UP TO HER PHONE RINGING.

"Hello?" she said, half asleep.

There was heavy sobbing on the other end.

"Hello?" she asked again.

"Kandice," Jackie said. "It's Blake. They found his body."

Kandice took a breath to calm herself, "What?! Where?"

She elbowed Lance, who was sitting in the bed next to her, and leaned in so he could hear the call. He had come back like he said to keep watch over her while she slept. They'd stayed up for hours while Kandice cried and tried to work through her brothers death. Lance held her until she fell asleep, his scent calmed her nerves and grounded her mind enough to relax into a restless sleep.

"He was at a park," Jackie said. "They said he'd been there for hours. Someone called it in this morning."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Kandice asked, freaking out.

"He was shot," Jackie said. "Kandice, it's horrible. They said it looked like he was robbed for his phone and money."

"What?" Kandice asked, melting into a fresh round of tears.

"They found his wallet. All they left was his ID."

Kandice was crying, and her aunt's sobs were growing into hysterics on the other end.

After almost a full minute of crying her aunt asked, "Kandice are you there?"

"Yes," she said through her heaves.

"They're keeping his body," Jackie said. "They made me identify him and said they have to keep it for an autopsy."

"Can they do that?" Kandice asked. "We have to bury him!"

She hadn't meant to yell. Her aunt cried even harder.

"When do we get his body?" Kandice asked.

"They said a few days," Jackie said. "I have to call Mr. Goldsmith."

"I'll do that. We need to plan the funeral though."

"I know. I called Pastor Gerlock. He came by earlier and has gone to get things situated."

Jackie was crying so hard that Kandice couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Aunt Jackie, I'll call you back later."

"Okay," Jackie said. "Kandice?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

When Kandice hung up the phone, she looked to Lance. She wiped away the tears and took a few steadying breaths.

"What happens next?"

"If the police view it as a mugging, they'll investigate and try to locate the robber," he said. "They'll either charge the wrong person, or leave it as an unsolved case."

An innocent person going to jail would have bothered her, but she didn't give a shit anymore. The world took her whole family from her, everyone else could go fuck themselves.

They both got out of her bed and Kandice walked to the bathroom sink to wash her face. Her body was grimy all over, but an actual shower was unappealing. All she wanted was to punch someone.

"What can I do?" Lance asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I've got to plan his funeral now."

"I'll help. Just tell me what to do."

"Just leave," Kandice said, emotionless. "I just want to be alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Lance hesitated, but when Kandice wouldn't look at him, he left. When the door closed behind him, she sunk back on the bed and stared at the wall. The thought of killing herself crossed her mind, but deep down she knew it would be worth living, to kill as many Aether Walkers as possible.