Danna finished incinerating psycho Shakespeare’s body. Knox had backed away from the heat. Between the stench of burnt flesh and the prickle of heat on his skin, his body had almost convulsed. Flashbacks of the time psycho Shakespeare had burnt Knox and almost killed him replayed in his mind, almost blinding Knox to the current moment. He backed to the hallway.
Alex followed. “You OK?”
Knox grunted. “Just reminds me of—”
Alex raised his hand. “Got it.”
Finally, the heat dissipated, and Knox returned to the main room.
“Ashes to ashes,” Danna said.
“Ashes to ashes,” all the children whispered.
It was barely a breath on everyone’s lips, yet all combined, it echoed off the metal walls of that open room. Shh-shh-shh. Like a mother shushing her toddler after a nightmare. Shh-shh-shh. Dann
