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Theodore followed, curling his young fingers over the edge of the coffin and pulling himself up until he could lean in and kiss the dead man. When he did that, all the old women cried. |
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Only then did Charlie realize that he was expected to do the same. His father turned to him and picked him up, swiftly propelling him down to the icy face. "Kiss your grandfather one last time before he begins his journey to heaven, Charles." His father's command was hissed more than spoken. |
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Terrified, he stiffened and felt his father's hand clasp the back of his head, shoving it down until he felt the cold, hard, unyielding feel of the old man's blood-drained lips against his young face. |
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Charlie's boyish scream shattered the gravesite stillness. |
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The car rolled to a gentle stop and he was suddenly catapulted back into the present. As his muddled recollections slowly began to fade, the emotional debris of the nightmare was swept aside again, but he knew it would return, just as it had thousands of time before. |
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"Any of this look familiar?" Theodore asked. |
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In truth, it didn't. It wasn't at all like he had remembered. His eyes darted nervously about the aging landscape of weathered and broken monuments. Where were the manicured ex- |
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