I felt like there was a sharp jump in time between us traveling and arriving at the funeral home. There was no viewing because of the state of Grant’s body, but there was a wake.

I didn’t know if I should’ve been surprised by the amount of people in attendance, but I was. There was a group of large men consoling a small lady who seemed to be their mother. Another woman stood next to her, Grant’s girlfriend I think. His father was a man just as large as him, making his rounds through the room while wearing a stoic face.

“Those are his brothers,” Emma spoke from my side.

“They look just like him,” I remarked.

I didn’t know much about Grant and I felt regret toward that fact. I wonder if I could even call him a friend without knowing more than his name.

“Casper… After all of this is over, could we talk?”

“Yeah, sure.” I furrowed my brows at her somewhat urgent tone.

“Good… In the meantime, I'll go around and see how everyone else is doing.”

“Alright.” I formed a shallow grin at her foreboding expression.

I wasn’t really one to enjoy drinking, but I certainly wanted one now. Since I didn’t know anyone, I simply drifted around before I came to the coffin which stuck out in the center of the room.

As I looked at it and pictured the body that lay inside, a flash of memories filled my head- No, it was different this time. I could feel every part of me being moved… somewhere else.

“Grant?”

Someone called to me. I couldn’t answer them because I felt as if I was placed into the body of another person.

“Grant? You hearing this?” That was Jameson speaking, I could clearly recognize it.

“I don’t see how it’s that big of a deal.” That’s Sophia’s voice.

“Love at first sight, Emma? Don’t you think that’s a little too… I don’t know-”

This time I spoke except it wasn’t my voice, but Grant’s… I see now, this was a memory, but it was different than anything previously.

“Cliche? Yeah, I know, but there was something about him.” I could tell that was Emma.

“Seems a little superficial, doesn’t it?” Jameson said with a chuckle.

“It's not just about how he looks, Jameson. I swear.” Emma defended herself.

Were they speaking about me? It seemed like it. This was around the time where I first met them then. Ah, so that was why Emma seemed so distressed when I fell.

I took in the scene in front of me, a group of friends gathered in a cafe. They were enjoying themselves and it appeared to be a good memory. I should've found some sort of comfort in it, but I was alarmed. I had gone from a spectator to experiencing part of the memory myself.

“Casper?”

A sudden voice, filled with a hint of sorrow, ripped it all away in an instant. The memory was torn apart like a piece of paper and my actual reality came into focus in front of me.

“Hm?” I turned to face Emma.

“You spaced out… are you sure you're okay?” She asked.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

That was half true. I was inwardly fearful that I would lose control of my ability once more.

“Grant’s going to be laid to rest soon.”

I looked around after she finished speaking and realized the room had begun to empty out. Our next destination was the cemetery that was a little ways down the road.

I said nothing as Emma guided me out and still remained silent as I climbed back into the car.

A few minutes later, we were sitting in our chairs waiting for a priest to say a few words.

“We’re gathered here today…”

It began just as I remembered.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Grant’s mother and girlfriend both wept, his father sat with a darkened expression, and his brothers were on the verge of tears. I looked at the tombstones in the background and my mind began to drift away. I felt my gift taking hold of me but I couldn’t control it, just like at the funeral home.

In an instant, everything around me began to stretch out like it was being pulled to its limits, becoming more and more distorted. I buried my fingers into my knees in an attempt to resist, but it failed.

“Come on. Calm down, just...” I whispered in an attempt to stop it from happening, but things moved beyond my control.

I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing only to feel a familiar chill come over me. It was as if I stepped into that ancient tomb all over again.

After inhaling freezing air, I opened my eyes.

“Ah,” My low exclamation echoed throughout the frosty mist that surrounded me on all sides.

“Coin for the ferryman?” A feeble voice entered my ears.

“Huh?” I looked in front of me and discovered two things.

One, I was sitting on a small row boat that seemed to be one strong wind from breaking. Two, the one paddling this shabby raft was a man completely covered in a tattered cloak.

“I asked if you could perhaps spare a coin?” He replied, adding an unnerving and sickly laugh.

“What? A coin? I don’t have a coin… Wait, just where are we?” I tried to stand up but the small boat shook wildly and I was forced to remain seated.

“Young man!” He hissed with a surge of annoyance. “You have a coin! Right there, in your pocket.”

A greyish and thin finger, attached to a corpse-like arm, emerged from his cloak and pointed at me accusingly.

“My pocket?” I dug into my suit jacket and pulled out a scratched coin. Just as he said, I had an old bronze-colored coin.

“Hm?” I looked closer and I could even see my name scratched into it.

‘Property of Casper Clay.’

“Wait, what do you want this for?” I asked, suddenly feeling the urge to guard this coin with my life.

“It is my fee, young man! Now, pay me!” He thrust out his hand and latched onto my wrist when I attempted to put my coin away.

“Get the fuck off of me!” I shoved him away and the boat began to thrash around.

Before I knew it, I tumbled into the water under us only to find it was shallow. Though, I felt a biting cold seep into my bones.

“You’ll wish you paid me!” A vindictive voice called out from behind me.

“Yeah, yeah.” I raised my middle finger to the departing boat while the man cackled to himself.

I was forced to walk through frigid water and while it was a minor inconvenience, it wasn’t that bad. It was certainly not worth paying him for. That’s what I thought until my leg got caught on something.

I pulled my foot away and felt something scratch me, drawing blood.

“Ow! Damn it!” I cursed as I moved away but this time, something grabbed me.

“Your coin! Give it to me!” A horrid voice emerged as a hollow body burst out of the shallow water.

“No, give it to me, please! I have to tell her how I feel!” Another body, a gaunt human shape without eyes appeared.

“Shut it! My daughter is waiting for me!”

“No! No! No! They killed me! I need to get payback!”

Emaciated bodies continued to rise from the water, clinging onto me. I panicked, removing the coin from my pocket and holding it as high as I could with a tight grip.

“Ah!” I shouted as more bodies piled onto me, more than I could count.

Their voices buzzed in my ear as they spoke of desires that could only be accomplished with my coin. I fell forward as the weight of the corpses became too much to carry. I splashed around in the water as I tried to crawl but a pile soon formed, trapping me under.

As I was forced under the cold water, I pulled the coin to my chest and held onto it. I couldn’t hold my breath for long as the corpses pressed down on me. My lungs ached, crying out desperately for air and before long, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Everything burned as I inhaled water. In response to being drowned, my body shook wildly and then I suddenly felt warm. As my thoughts turned muddled and my grip grew weaker, I couldn’t help but loosen my fingers, almost letting the coin go.

Then, a hand snatched me from underneath the water and pulled me out. It was so abrupt my whole body was thrown forward and I fell face first onto something. I coughed out water for a few moments before I raised my blurry eyes only to find I was back on the boat.

“Be grateful for your luck, young man.” A bitter voice rang out.

The ferryman sat with his arms crossed and the boat was no longer moving. Apparently, we had reached the shore.

“Did you… save me?” I asked, completely exhausted.

The ferryman laughed in response.

“I wasn’t the one to help you… no, if you were not a Death Bringer, you would have not survived without paying me. Even your natural affinity with death would not have mattered, young man… Now get off my boat,” He practically hissed out his words.

Without the need for any more persuasion, I moved to leave the boat, but before stepping out, I spotted runes carved into the bottom. I tried to decipher them, but his temper surged in an instant.

“LEAVE NOW!” Apparently, my actions set him off as he violently shoved me forward.

I stumbled and as soon as I touched the sandy shore, my surroundings shifted.

…

“...And let your eternal light shine upon him.” The priest finished speaking.

“Amen,” A series of voices replied.

I looked around me in a slight fluster, before I finally settled down. Just when I thought I had control of my ability, something like that happened. It felt like a nightmare, but at the same time, it was way too real to be just a dream.

“Casper?” Emma pressed her palm against my dampened forehead. “You’re cold? Are you sick?”

“N-No, I’m fine.” I moved my head away from her and smiled.

She seemed to be reluctant to let it go, but it was time for us to finally bury Grant so we couldn’t linger on.