Ashes to Ashes

Pulvis et umbra sumus, is something my lover used to say all the time. We are nothing but dust and shadows. I used to believe on his words, Ashtown was the name of the one I gave my heart to. I used to think like that, ashes to ashes, I didn't even see an actual point on living, most of my life was meaningless. Maybe because as the sun came up I had to play a part that I hated, I had to be someone I didn't know, live by rules I didn't understood. And then one day, I met Ash, and just like that I had been taught how to live. He gave a new meaning to those words, if we are nothing but dust and shadow then what was there to judge us during the night? If we were ashes and to ashes we would go back, that what was so bad about burning for a while? I saw him every night dancing on a bar, singing about freedom, being who he wanted to be, a he, a they, a she. I learned how to live, not measuring risks, just living for as long as I could and how I wanted to. So when my time came I faced death as someone who knew how to live, it was better than living already dead

And Noah, oh Noah Stewart. If there was something that boy was in the need of, was learning how to live. Maybe Kirian Ravenswood could be his chance of learning "So...can I talk to him? Noah Stewart?" the medium asked as the owner of the house remained paralyzed "I...I" he stuttered, I would feel sorry for him if I didn't found the hole thing funny "I am him, Noah I mean" he stretched out his hand "I am Noah Stewart, how can I help? By the way have we met?" if there was one thing bigger than that kid's ego was his fear of not being Mr.Popularity, what would become of him, if he wasn't friends with everyone in that town, after all Thunder Mesa wasn't even that big "I don't think we have, my name is Kirian...Kirian Patrolle" he didn't used his parents last name anymore, not since he left home so he just used Jade's "I got to town a few nights ago and someone named...Benjamin..." he squeezed his eyes as if he tried to push his memory "Benjamin Duncan, if I am not mistaken, said to come here. I accept the payment on cash and card by the way" Kirian didn't even wait for an invitation and simply pushed his way inside the house leaving Noah behind with his shock "Payment?" the boy slammed the door turning around while his sister leaned her body on the kitchen's counter top, watching the scene from a safe distance "For my services of course" he made his way to Lorraine as if the house was his own "Excuse me...could I get a glass of water please?" "Sure" she had a corner smile as if her brother's confusion amazed her, and maybe it did "Ice?" "No thank you"

"So..where's your room?" Lorraine bit her tongue not to laugh when she saw the look on her bother's face, she hadn't seen his cheeks going that red since the day he peed on his mattress during a sleepover when he was seven "Listen I dunno what Ben has told you but I am not into guys" that was it, the girl couldn't hold it back anymore and started giggling, dropping the water she had poured into a glass, but at least it fell on the sink. Noah took a deep breath glaring at her with a severe look, but Lorraine completely ignored it as she start putting water on the cup again "I am not a prostitute" Kirian answered simply, allowing his body to be supported by the counter top "You were...you were just asking about my room...and money...I figured-" Noah went quiet, he knew that was helping the situation "Thought wrong" the medium pushed himself away from the counter so he could walk towards Noah "There isn't money enough on this world that would make me wanna sleep with you" for someone who didn't like man, Noah took that personally but kept it to himself as his sister joined them "Here you go" "Thanks" after taking a long sip of the water without breaking eye contact with Noah, Kirian finally spoke again "I want to know where your room is because the spirits like it quiet" he explained as if that was the most usual sentence one could ever speak, and Noah realized on that moment that his day had just gotten started

-

When Kirian's eyes turned white and he could not longer speak to his group he saw a couple of interesting things, the Manor on it's glorious days but yet surrounded by clouds on the shape of skeletons. He saw a bride crying and pleading, telling herself that one day her groom would come back. He saw a dynamite blast and a dog howling at a red moon. Most of all he saw a library with books that had covers made of bones and his name in between the shelves. He also saw the name of your town and the headline of the day Thunder Mesa got divided in between the living and the dead, the town and Phantom Canyon. That was when he and his ghost busters gathered around to plan their trip. They were four sharing a small old house on the most isolate part of the city so they wouldn't attract more attention than needed, and they were smart, I must say. Instead of walking inside the Phantom Manor unprepared as many poor souls that never returned, they decided to wait, research, become a part of town, blend in between the people and see what they could figure out and what sorts of spirits they could expect seeing here. So Kirian started working on the town's library, while Jade and Megan kept him company researching for Thunder Mesa's history. Meanwhile Silas went after what he had called as 'old contacts', and well I suppose that when you live forever they have to be old

As for Megan, she was the girl Silas had called when Kirian had his vision. Kirian and Jade had known each other since they could remember and even dated for a while before deciding they were better off as friends, she was the one who supported and helped him the most as he tried to understand what he could do and finally, Jade was the one who followed him all around the world looking for spirits. At some point during their trips they found Meg, she was on a hospital in Australia having just lost her leg movements after an accident she swore that had been caused by a demon. Megan didn't have much to go back to once Jade and Kirian managed to expel the demon from this world, so she decided to stay with them, joining the mission wanting to prevent others from going through the same as she had. To complete the group there was Silas, a demon running from his own kind, from his father Asmodeus, he had lived on so many places and now wanted to stay with those people on the hope that he could give some meaning to his long existence "I am sorry, did you say spirits?" "Well yes, that's what your friend Ben, wants right? Talk to the dead?" Benjamin was the only one besides Lorraine that knew Noah before he decided to be famous on town, and one of the boy's only real friendships, he had overheard a conversation on the library and decided to pay Kirian for help "I...to be honest I don't really know what this is about" "Clearly" Kirian gave him a long stare looking at the boy up and down

For Noah's lucky, and lack of mine, the doorbell rang. He was free from the awkward situation and my entertainment was gone "Just a second" he could feel his own hand beginning to shake as he walked to the front door, his fear was that it was yet another unknown person at his door step "I am going to kill you" the boy warned on the second he realized it was the very own Benjamin with a girl by his side: Lily "Did it even passed by your mind that I should know you invited someone to my house?" "Technically is Lorraine's house" Lily, as always, took Ben's side. While Ben and Noah had been friends since they were little, Lily was the newest part of the group. With highlighted cheek bones and angular face, she made quite the mark when first got to a town filled with people that looked the same, with straight black hair of blonde fringe and a cut made at home causing an unique style, besides the light eyes and piercings on the bottom lip and side of the nose. It was indeed the kind of beauty that attracted eyes on Thunder Mesa, but you can't expect less of a Murray, I would know, I met many of them. Lily did some fashion curses taking after her mother, Melanie, before deciding to go on journalism, like her father Mykel. On the end Lily came to Thunder Mesa wanting to explore the never finished story of the Phantom Manor and the Ravenswoods, therefore deciding to stay in town for a while, learning more about the town and it's people, and finally write a book about the Phantom Canyon

But it's not easy to be gender-fluid and bisexual in Texas, specially on a place like this. And well you know, it's all about the right people, about the kind of friends you chose to keep around. Benjamin was the first person Lily become friends with, and while Noah was busy becoming 'famous', Ben and Lily were becoming inseparable. They used to go to the library and chose a same book only to compete for who read it faster, sometimes they simply sat in the dark and shared the crazy thoughts they had during the day. While Noah gave the best parties trying to hook up with as much girls as he could, Lily and Ben took over the karaoke. Or, as it happened most of the time, Ben watched as Lily fell in love with every person she saw but never actually end up with any of them. They came from jokes about Lily's panic's to Ben standing up for her when she needed. Sometimes respect was hard to get, and not everyone knew how it felt like to be misgendered, or misunderstood but it was priceless, it was priceless to Lily to see that there would always be someone on the corner of the room that would listen to you, that would support you, that would accept you and would see you for what and who you truly were. No matter what happened, or how Lily felt, she knew Ben would be there holding her hand and now she was more than ready to return the favor as she put her hand on Benjamin's arm comforting him for what came next "We were going to call but it kind of happened a bit too fast, we need your help Noah...Ben needs your help"

Ben held his breath for a second, he had dark skin and eyes like bitter coffee. His hair was big and curly, and his face was always a resting bitch face, this time thought, there was no denying, he was nervous. Benjamin's dream had always been to change the world, he wanted to go into politician, and not just any, no, he wanted Thunder Mesa. His plans of world domination would start by one day getting into the power of our town and then he would see how to change the situation of people in other places. Another thing you should know about Benjamin Duncan is that he lost his aunt, and had been craving for any chance of getting a closure, so you can imagine how he felt when he heard about a medium in town. He had to take the chance but Ben's mother hated that type of thing, she didn't believe things like me could exist, so on the heat of the moment he gave Kirian Noah's address "I need to do a spirit session" was the explanation he gave "Oh, great! More clients!" Kirian exclaimed supporting his head over Noah's shoulder to see the duo in front of the door "Now, again, where's your room?"