Tyler was alone. Darkness surrounded him. He was shivering to the cold and bitter air that was touching his body. Tyler felt his skin. He was cold as ice. He could barely move his arms, like he was frozen in time.

"Maker." Said the boy. "What is happening to me?"

Before Tyler could process where he was, he heard a familiar voice with a dark and rustic tone.

"Close your eyes, dear Clancy. You are home."

"Home?" Tyler thought. "I can't be home. Josh is supposed to be here. He promised he would take me home."

"You are dead, child. Your mother has delivered you from the world."

Among the confusing words, Tyler noticed that the voice was not addressing him by his real name.

The voice was calling him, Clancy.

He had never heard of that name before.

"Clancy? Who is Clancy?"

"The people of Dema praised your name, dear one. They sang songs of your freedom, while the Bishops encouraged their demise. You are long gone now."

"Gone? No!"

"Rest in the grave, my darling Clancy. In years time, you will become one of us."

~

Tyler opened his eyes and gasped; sitting up instantly. He was hot and sweaty; his arms and legs wet from the black sheets. His heart was pounding with panic and confusion. As he was waking up, Tyler was worried he had woken up Josh, but his love was still sound asleep next to him.

Rubbing his eyes, Tyler got out of bed; reaching over to grab the cup of water on his nightstand, but there were only a few drops left.

At first, Tyler wasn't sure how he drank that much water, until he drew his attention to the half empty bottle of Nembutal. Taking the bottle into his hand, Tyler put the pieces together.

He had a drug induced dream.

Or was it a vision of his death?

Tyler laid back in bed and closed his eyes; trying to take in what he had dreamt about. He was potentially dreaming of his curse or of his death. Just like he told Josh the night before their wedding, all he remembered was his body hitting the water, then darkness took over.

When Tyler was in the grave, he didn't hear voices. He didn't hear someone telling him he was praised in Dema. All he remembered was the torture and suffering he endured in captivity, and the casualties brought upon Lord Nico's other victims.

All those who died in Dema are resting in the crevices of the Neon gravestones.

The difference between Tyler and the victims of Dema was that he lived. He woke from a tomb; a tomb that concealed his comatose body. He was trapped in a deathlike state, and Josh brought him back to life.

In Tyler's mind, he did not die when he drowned in the lake.

~

The next morning, the sun shined brightly on a brand new day in Trench. Josh woke up in an empty bed. He had expected Tyler to kiss him upon awakening, but his flowered husband was not there.

Josh thought for a moment on where Tyler could be, until it struck him. Grabbing his green coat and black beanie, Josh walked out of the tent and went straight towards the Trench crypts.

When Josh got there, memories started flooding his brain. The crypts was the place where he buried the love of his life, where he thought to have lost the love he fought and bled for, but it ended up being the place where he brought him back to life.

A year later, why would Tyler want to come back?

But, the answer was right there in front of Josh; the torchbearer, and Tyler; the supposed Clancy, wanted answers too.

When Josh arrived at the tomb, the first thing he noticed was that the former resting place had been the same since the day Tyler was revived. The old flower petals were still in the tomb, and the glass lid was still open.

Walking up to the tomb, Josh saw Tyler lying inside. His eyes were wide open, and he was looking up into the beautiful sun rising sky. Josh couldn't help but admire him for a moment, until Tyler began to contemplate where he was and why he was there.

"This is the place where you buried me?"

Josh, disturbed by the question, quietly nodded.

"Yes, darling."

Tyler closed his eyes; taking in the silence that once was his death, until Josh broke the curse.

"I didn't want you to be placed in the ground or burned on a pyre. I had you preserved so that everyone could see you."

Tears started streaming down Josh's cheeks.

"I didn't want to let you go."

Tyler sat up from the tomb and faced his husband, who was reliving the tragedy that almost caused their lives and marriage.

"You saved me, dear Josh. You gave me life when you met me, and you saved me from dying. You did all of this, and yet... I feel as if I am being snapped back to the moment where I faced death."

"What do you mean, Tyler?"

"These dreams I've been having, I can hear someone telling me that I was worshiped in Dema, that I was glorified before the citizens, but I can't remember that. All I remember is the pain and suffering, the grief of losing my innocence to Master Nico. How can there be any praise in that?"

"There isn't." Josh said. "Dema will never know peace, and we will stop them."

Tyler, feeling the weight of everything around him, ran up his husband and kissed him passionately. It was the only thing he could do. Tyler's kiss instantly restored the happiness and love to Josh's heart. His flowered husband was alive and will never be lost to him again.

But, the darkness of Dema is still lingering over Tyler's heart.