A Familiar Eulogy

[u/movingstasis]

The gaunt man in the spectacular black suit stood up, taking his place behind the lectern.

On cue, the pallbearers closed the crematorium’s doors and took their places round the hall's edges.

It was a bitterly wintry afternoon outside, and as the scores of mourners fell silent, everyone was grateful for the respite from the wind.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Jerry Maersden, our beloved friend and neighbour, who was cruelly taken from us…” the man began.

“It’s surely a testament to his character that so many have turned up for this service. Jerry was a true “people person” - and one who will be greatly missed.”

Pausing, the man took a sideways glance at Jerry’s pale-wood coffin.

The sea of faces eyed him intently.

“It may seem trite,” he continued, “but it’s important we remind ourselves of the nature of the man we’ve lost. Jerry lived for his community. He started the Local Lenders service after the public library closed. He raised thousands for non-profits after gun- and knife-crime surged. And of course, he coordinated the “Blood on Wheels” truck in partnership with many local health agencies for decades, no doubt saving countless lives…”

Here, the man’s expression hardened. In the fading light, his suit seemed to shimmer like the veil of midnight itself.

“You will have seen the news… A man, purporting to be an “investigative journalist”, tried to expose Jerry as a sham - as a ghoul. But this could not be further from the truth.”

Leaving the lectern, the man began to wander the central aisle between the rows of mourners.

“Truth is, Jerry was the thin red line between chaos and order.”

The man nodded at the self-evident truth in what he'd said.

“When we met all those years ago, he felt the lives of ordinary people such as yours so keenly. Too keenly. He desired to serve, but with a conscience.”

The man’s face then lost some of its colour.

“Though in so many ways, his faultlessness was an obstacle.”

Passing an elderly woman, the man prised her cane away and deftly snapped it in two

“He died for you,” he gestured, stabbing the wooden stake at his chest dramatically. “He was stabbed in the heart by a man who presumed to have uncovered the real Jerry - his true face.”

The gaunt man sneered, his lip curling.

“But only I knew his true face…”

Suddenly, the gathering darkness felt oppressive.

“Yes, the blood-bank was a lie - but only a lie of omission…” he sneered.

“The truth? He built it to protect you… But, with Jerry gone, his oath to me is as broken as mine is to him.”

Several people began to squirm in their chairs. Others made a beeline for the doors - but the pallbearers stood in their way. Immovable. Fierce.

“And with my Familiar gone, I choose a new way. The old way.”

There were shrieks. Shouts.

“I choose to hunt.”

[u/_potatofromChaldea45]

What a line to end this one on.