The small clinic they had cleared out in the village was still full of patients, but few were seriously ill. There was a bout of influenza he needed to keep a close eye on, and a patient with a broken hand, but most of the beds were full of people getting over simple illnesses or minor injuries. For the first time in months, Kamiyo felt able to step out and take a break.
Winter was in full swing, rainy and cold most days. Today was slightly milder, and the rain was only a drizzle. It felt good against his face, a simple pleasure to enjoy. With the demons gone, food was plentiful if you knew where to look, and the village was partially powered by solar panels, batteries, and petrol generators. The elderly and the vulnerable were provided with heaters at night or given homes with open fireplaces. The local pub was open most of the day and part of the night for people to indulge their newfound freedom. Life was still a wretched, vulnerable existence, full of threats and hardships, but it was improving every day. They were building a future together. There were no enemies or rivalries – at least not yet – and for now, peace was total. It was a golden age for mankind, and Kamiyo enjoyed being part of it, despite the amount of death he had witnessed to get there.
Perhaps mankind was better off being reset. Even without the demons, it had seemed to be on a collision course with disaster. This was their chance to do better.
Kamiyo headed to the village square where there was a circle of grass with benches and a rockery. On one side was the pub, and on the other was a small Anglican church. He had been intending to visit the pub – an old coach house called the Hartlebury Inn – but instead his attention was caught by something at the church. It had been opened up as a communal space, and people often gathered there. Not because they wanted to pray or worship, but because a church was an intrinsically welcoming place. It was a relaxing space with lots of happy memories – weddings, christenings, et cetera.
People were gathered in the graveyard outside the church, so Kamiyo went to go see what was going on. Many had been buried in the last few months, but due to the number of bodies, a majority had been burned on pyres. People did their best to make things ceremonial, but the smell always reminded them that death was never beautiful – especially now that people knew there was no afterlife to pass on to. When you died, you just… stopped. It was depressing, and yet at the same time it caused people to appreciate their lives and make the best of things. It was a blessing and a curse. Perhaps it had always been that way.
He found Angela in the graveyard along with Scarlett and a few others. Nancy and Alice were there, too. The mother and daughter were inseparable, and it was nice to see a family intact. When they saw Kamiyo, everyone smiled warmly.
Angela welcomed him. “Doctor, we’re just honouring our dead. It would be good if you could join us.”
“Oh, yes, of course. I would be glad to.”
Scarlett kept mostly to herself these days, so it was nice to see her. She seemed a little less sad today. “You never really knew Sorrow,” she said, “but he meant a lot to me. Because he was a demon, his body…” She sighed. “Well, it kind of went poof. It’s been hard not being able to speak to him any more. For so long, he never left my side. He saved my life, like, a lot.”
Kamiyo nodded. “I understand.”
Angela put a hand on his shoulder. “People need to grieve. They need a place where they can have a conversation with the people they’ve lost. I told Scarlett that graveyards have never been for the dead. They have always been for the living. Nancy, too, had the same problem.”
Nancy nodded, a little sadness in her eyes. “Damien left me to put himself on the line. He died helping to save us all. I never got to say goodbye – or thank you.”
Angela waved a hand. “The dead should be remembered whether we have their bodies or not. What do you think?”
Kamiyo looked at where she was pointing and saw several nondescript blocks of stone. They had been roughly carved and etched with messy capital letters. They were beautiful in an understated way. Solemn. Simple. A few of the stones had names on them listed in columns. Two of the stones, however, were reserved for single names. One tombstone read: Damien Banks. Saviour. The other read: Sorrow. Demon. Protector. Hero.
Kamiyo looked at Nancy and then at Scarlett. He saw the sadness and joy on their faces and realised how much these names carved into simple blocks of stones meant to them. “I like it,” he said. “I really like it. I have names of my own I would like to add.”
Angela motioned to a large group huddled around several more roughly carved stones at the rear of the graveyard. “So do a lot of people. Let’s not forget our heroes just because we have so many.”
Kamiyo thought about Ted, Hannah, and so many others. With a smile on his face, he said, “I look forward to building a world where heroes aren’t needed, but I never want to forget the people who died so that I can live.”
Angela patted him on the arm. “Amen.”
