Two Dead Boys

"Nope not that, that's a bit too serious for a maintenance job" Wendy's voice echoed down the hall in the stale morning. The kids had not yet gone to school or even woken up and Sara had made a quick run to the pharmacy before Peter would return home for the day.

"Shhh, Matt can't know yet! That elevator transfers sound all over the house" Paris hissed in a hushed tone.

Wendy shrugged as she laid across the bed painting her nails black. "How about this then?" Paris asked pulling out a pair of baggy overall painters pants and a button up blouse. "Kinda country...cute but..." Wendy said and Paris sighed. She rummaged through the drawer again.

"Its nice that you're doing this Paris" Wendy said as Paris had finally managed to find something to wear. "I mean considering you've never had to work a day in your life....and now you're doing maintenance work." Wendy said blowing on her nails to dry them faster. "I would have just kept calling my parents, mine are selfish argumentative buttholes but at least they'd answer if I called them" she said.

Paris smiled a bit as she turned back and forth in the full length mirror. Tossing her hair in a high pony tail. "I'm spoiled not useless, besides Jonah works there so I'll be fine" Paris said.

Wendy popped her gum bubble and sat up. "Wait, wait! Who's Jonah?" She asked. Paris turned to face her "Matt didn't tell you? You're like his therapist I thought he would have" Paris said in a bit of shock. "No...well, who is he?" Wendy asked. "Your type....dark hair, fair skinned, wears vintage dandy like clothing in earth tones and black. Kinda looks like he could be in a british band or something." As Paris talked Wendy already had stars in her eyes. "Oooo you put in a good word for me!" Wendy said striking a dramatic model-like pose across the bed "about your stunningly lovely sister in law to be!" Wendy added.

Paris giggled "I'll try, I'm hoping I can get him to stop by today to meet Matt...they look like they'd be great friends. So you might be able to meet him today" Paris said. Wendy giggled "alright but seriously you talk me up!" Wendy called as Paris headed down the stairs.

Paris was generally outgoing although today she had knotts in her stomach she really hopped Jonah was right and that this man would hire her.

At the entrance to the Graveyard Paris held out a makeshift resume which was just a list of her skills as far as gardening and a bushel of flowers.

She quickly spotted an elderly man his white hair pulled back into a long thinning ponytail hanging under his sun hat.

Seeing some lonely graves Paris placed a single flower on them as she made her way over. The old man sat up from were he had been straightening out a headstone and wiped sweat off his brow with a dirty gloved hand.

"Um hello sir, my name is Paris Nickles. I heard you were looking to hire help." said Paris stopping a few feet away from him.

Getting a good look at her face, for a moment the man's face paled as if he had seen a ghost. But soon composed himself.

Paris looked him over carefully and one thing struck her. He had pale green eyes, not as vivid but they did look a lot like Jonah's.

"The boy must have sent you..." she heard him mutter silently.

"Well, welcome. I'm surprised a little girls gon' and answered our hiring call, but you're the first one brave enough to show up" he said. Paris was taken back by how sharp and mean his voice had sound. While in comparison his face and demeanor reminded one of a friendly old grandfather. "Um...sir?" Paris questioned as he seemed to be off in another land.

"Makes sense....she liked to care for them too" the old man was whispering to himself again rubbing his bristly chin in thought.

Paris coughed to clear her throat some and draw him out of his thoughts. "Right then. The names Ephraim Aickman. My families owned this cemetery for nearly 150 years. You're hired." The old man, Ephraim said. Paris beamed "Thank you Mr.Aickman!" She cheered as she started rolling up her sleeves. "Where do I start?" She asked fighting off a few tears coming to her eyes.

"With your story, why are you here?" Ephraim asked leaning against a large stone tomb. "Well...I need the money...I don't even know how much I'm making" Paris said with a nervous laugh. "But anything at this point is good...you see, I'm staying with my boyfriends family. He's really sick and...well we don't know what the out come will be. His doctors say that this new experimental treatment might cure him...it was supposed to be free but-"

"Nothings free, everything comes with a price. Money or otherwise" Ephraim said darkly cutting into Paris' explanation.

Paris just nodded "right...the family is struggling. And Miss Sara won't ask my parents for more money to cover my needs...which takes money out of the budget. My folks are really well off you see...but terribly busy...all the time. I tried to call them several times to ask them to help out but they never answer their phones or have time for me so..." Paris droned off a bit.

"A friend of mine who said he works here told me to come apply." She said.

Ephraim looked at her with unease. "Jonah?" He said hesitantly a darkness lurking in his voice.

Paris' grin fell before it could form on her face at the tone of Ephraim's voice. "Y-yes" she stammered. "Is that bad?" She thought.

Ephraim sighed "well, you make 3.35 an hour you'll work mornings, 7am to 11am every day but weekends..." He said taking the paper out of her hand which also held contact information "and you'll be...." Ephraims voice faded as he tooked over the paper and saw her address "....on call...if needed." He said slowly. Paris tilted her head in confusion. "Its already 8:30...don't have much for you today so just, just pull some weeds" he said speaking as if distracted as he walked off to a small shed like building.

Paris could see him through the window placing her paper on a small desk and then covering his mouth with his hand.

"What a strange old man" Paris muttered before stooping by a head stone to clear out the weeds around it.

11 came around faster than Paris had expected and it was oddly peaceful she's already memorized the names on 5 abandoned graves giving them extra care.

"I see you got the job" Jonah's voice called.

Paris was washing her hands with a garden hose and looked up to smile at him before turning off the water. "Hey Jonah, yeah I did, thank you so much for this" She said walking over to him. He gave a small smile "sorry I didn't tell you I work mostly nights and evenings....I've got to finish my paper route but I wanted to check and see how you were doing" he said.

Paris' smile faltered a bit. "Oh right, um well the next time you're free please stop by, everyone wants to meet you" She said. Jonah gave a smile that was somehow happy and sad at the same time. "I will, have a good day Paris" he said before heading up the street. Paris sighed and wrapped up the hose before going to tell Ephraim that she was headed home.

"Where have you been?" Matt asked as Paris entered the house. Hair a mess and dirt on the knees of her jeans. He eyed her up and down and tried not to laugh as he went to her plucking a leaf out of her hair. "Aaaah about that, I got a -" Paris stopped herself, she couldn't very well tell him she was working at a graveyard. " a gardening job" she said with a smile.

Matt chuckled and smoothed down her hair and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Holding her close he rested his head on top of hers. "I won't lie I'm gonna miss you like a little lost dog" he said amused at himself. "Its only four hours and I will be back by 11am you are rarely up before then anymore...." Paris said.

Matt rocked from side to side rocking Paris with him as if trying to keep himself awake "I'm tired of being tired" he muttered. Paris turned around to face him her arms wrapped around his hips she looked up at him and swipped at his hair a bit, he still had mussy bed head. "Its only normal, rest is a good thing right now you need as much as you can get" she said. Matt sighed but smiled "yeah I guess your right" he said.

It was quiet for a while. Matt played with Paris' hair. "I scared the bejeebus out of Billy this morning...and myself" he muttered bitterly. "Wh-what happened? Do you need to call the doctor?" Paris asked quickly. "No, nothing like that" Matt said in a calming way. Paris exhaled "I mean well, I forget how but the door to that other room in the basement opened...and it had a gurney in it. Billy came down and I spun him around on it but...I spaced out and spun him too fast. He nearly flew off when I stopped it. He was even yelling at me to stop but..." Matt stopped talking he didn't want to say he didn't hear him.

"Its not like having visions of dead people is a good reason to not notice your brother screaming" Matt thought.

"Oh Matt..." Paris started when something hit her and made her blood run cold "....wait a minute, did-did you say G-gurney?" Paris questioned. Matt looked down at her wordless, he nodded. Paris could remember the faceless girl and her sad smile as she posed the dead couple.

"Then this place is!" She gasped, Matt nodded. Paris let go of him and darted through the kitchen "Paris? What are you doing?" Matt asked following after her in a slow jog. She went down the basement stairs "where? Paris?" He asked following her down.

Paris had grabbed one of his old backpacks and stuffed some of his things in it. "Paris what are you doing?" Matt chuckled.

"Getting things I know you feel are essential, you are going to go and stay up stairs with Billy!" Paris called. She filled up the bag and turned to face Matt glaring at him as he laughed at her.

His laughter died off fast as he saw her tembling eyes and frown. "You can't stay down here!" She shouted dropping the bag and pointing to the open embalming room. The gurney sitting infront of the open door as if welcoming them in. Various tools setting sitting on the 3 feet wide metal counter. Her hands trembled "its not funny, and its not right you being down- down in here!" Paris shouted.

Matt gawked for a minute at her clear distress before going to her. He pulled Paris into a hug. "Breathe Paris!" Matt called rubbing her back. "Jesus..." He exhaled holding her close one hand on the back of her head as she sobbed. "I won't put you in here yet...or ever!" She said through sobs.

"Paris...it hasn't been a morgue for a long long time...its ok. It's just a basement now, not even that its just a room" He cooed. Paris shook her head furiously. "No it's not!" She shouted nearly at the top of her lungs.

Up stairs Sara and Peter who were hashing it out, looked at each other worried hearing Paris shouting and went to the elevator in the hall to listen in. "You happy now?" Peter sighed heavily "That's not fair...I said we needed a place to say the ride home was killing him..." Sara muttered "just remember your promise no more secrets" Peter said heading down the stairs.

Meanwhile Sara listened to Paris' yelling and crashing sounds.

"Paris stop!" Matt called. "Embalming fluid! R-really!" She said rushing out of the second room and into the bathroom. "Wait Paris is that good for the plumbing?" Matt asked. "Do I look like a care!" Paris barked pouring it all down the sink drain "but...what if thats going into the drinking water..you can't do that! I'm sure there are proper ways to get rid of it just wait a minute!" Matt said grasping her arm stopping her.

"You're ok with this?" She asked him. Matt shrugged "it doesn't bother me a lot." He said. Paris gawked for a minute before darting out the bathroom and out of the basement. Matt sighed and took the bottle back into the second room and closed the door.