For Better or Hearse

by Ava Hunter

“It’s giving big main character energy.” Ash scowls. “I don’t want to be a main character. I want to be that statue in the corner of the room that sometimes gets mistaken for a ghost and scares the shit out of people.”

“Sometimes I think it’s all you need in the world. If you have that one right person in your life, you can survive anything.”

In fact, he can’t help but be drawn to Ash. She’s excessively goofy and earnest and maybe a little off-putting with her positive attitude and mean sense of humor. She’s a mix tape blasted to the max, and even then, he wants to crank the dial until it snaps.

As the sound of the ocean crashing against the beach rushes back to his ears, bone-deep awareness hits him like a brick. Ash. She’s the first one he looked for.

Ash should come with a disclaimer. Catlike and beautiful, with random acts of violence. And still, all he wants to do is get close. Experience her light.

“Love and death are so similar. The beginning. The end. It’s all a mystery. An unknown. Both are always on our minds. We don’t control the ride, the ride controls us. And no matter how hard we prepare, no matter how much we think we’ve got this, we can’t escape. Love. Or death.”

“Last meal. What would it be?” He hurries to catch up. Grabs her hand. “You and a cloth napkin.”