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Expect the unexpected, they said, and surprise will find you never. I say, shut your damn pretentious mouth, the unexpected is called the unexpected for a reason.

'Cause you don't fucking expect it. And I certainly didn't expect this…

Tyler knew he's caught me off-guard saying that, this face of mine don't hide these details good, he continued on, standing up to his feet as he did, "Don't tell no one? I appreciate it if ya just keep this between us, yeah?" 

"Sorry," I told him quickly. "Didn't know about your mother…"

He whirled around, raising his hands fast and waving them even faster. "No-no-no-no, man, it's good, almost no one does anyway… it isn't like I bring it up 24/7."

I've no clue what kind of uncharted boundaries I just stumbled my way into - I just wanted to play with the wind a bit, 'stead I got this waiting for me on the outside… and for some reason, I didn't want to just let it be and let it go.

"How'd she… how'd she pass away?" I added hastily. "If you don't mind me asking, that is…"

He shrugged, an overexaggerated frown on his face. "Dunno, man. I think ten-year-old me would remember it better. All a blur now."

"Can't ask your Dad?"

Tyler laughed at that - same way he did to any joke I made before, except I wasn't joking this time.

"What Dad?"

The unexpected going twice now. "You mean he also - ?" 

"Nah, never knew him. Never bothered to. He ain't want nothing with me, then I ain't want nothing with him."

He strapped on his bag even tighter, cracking his neck left to right, and fiddled around his pant-pocket, jingling and jangling. "This was her hometown… so she was buried here. Every year, I just go over there - spruce up shit, pull out weeds… heh, say hello..."

Those words. Never heard him trail away like that before. I continued to ask.

"Thought you said you came to this town just to uncover the Sludge stuff and sleep in strangers' houses?" 

He pulled out his car key, catching it mid-air with a swipe, turning to me again, keeping that widened smile again. "Three birds with one stone? But for real, yeah I'm doing the Sludge thing and the challenge thing… but that's just for the fans, y'know? Keep them smiling, keep them entertained. I'm really here just to make sure I'm still able to read out my mom's name on her tombstone, y'know?"

No, I don't. I really don't know, Tyler. Looking at you, who could have? A disposition like that, an attitude like yours… the appearance you bare to the world, seriously… 

I don't even know who I'm talking to anymore.

"So anyway," He stretched his hand out towards me. "This challenge is already off to a promising start with you! The next guy better bring out the big guns or he ain't beating you anytime soon." 

I stood up too, slowly, I raised my own hand to his, before I could even make it the rest of the way - he darted forward and gripped tight and firm, smiling his wide smile.

"Had fun, man, really," He said. "Probably too early to say this, but I'm holding out to you to win this challenge, alright? And for real - don't go sharing this around with the other Leadeners, I'm trusting you, big man." 

After a long handshake session, Tyler finally let go and spun around… clicking his key, and chirping the glossy car parked all the way down the road. 

In every practical sense, I should be sighing in both joy and relief watching him vacate the premises with every distancing step forward. I should be…

Yeah, right… who would be after ending on that note, really?

Again, I'm stricken with that same feeling. Should leave, should let it be, just go play with the wind like you originally intended. Do not walk towards him, do not approach him… don't tap on his shoulder, don't make him turn around.

Why'd you made him turn around?

"Let me go with you."

What?

"What?" 

See if even my subconscious and his reactions are in sync, I should really know better than to continue on from here. 

Yet strangely, I didn't.

"Not gonna let the other strangers get an advantage on me," I said to him. "I still got three hours, let's go spend those three hours."

Not even those black-tinted glasses could hide the bemusement in his eyes. "At my mom's grave?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?" spoke I, undeterred. "You look like you could use the company anyway."

And that's how I ended up riding shotgun in the most luxurious vehicle I'll ever be in for the second time. No girls to impress this time, Tyler was driving the speed limit, and keeping that engine from roaring. 

I also noticed that there wasn't a single camera in sight for once… not at the dashboard, none in the backseat. He wasn't streaming, filming - very unlike him. 

He even keeps his head down and out of sight when young teens would litter the sidewalk on the occasional red lights. Attention he'd normally welcome with wide-open arms. 

Guess he meant it when he said he wanted this to be a private affair. 

We drove past the park too. There, I had my head practically sticking out the window, scouring for any pointy ears, or a flutter of violet in the vibrant greens.  And yes, turns out, I did - strolling the dirt path, Ash and Sera walked along in leisure. 

But by the time I spotted them, and before I could get a closer look, we'd already whizzed by and the park was long gone behind us now.

Is that what they do the whole day? Just walk about the place? Mental note for the midnight meetup - ask more questions, get more answers.

"Big man, you're quiet over there," Tyler said, eyeing me from the driver's seat. "You good? Music too loud? Wanna listen to your own tunes? Radio's free, feel free."

I assured the big smile on his face that I was just fine, merely taking in the sights of a beautiful sunny day, which was just enough to stave away any more prying questions from him.

In truth, I was thinking, and when he asked that, I thought even more. He was springy, he was brash, boisterous - admittedly he lacked the charm and suave, but does he not remind me of a certain someone else I know?

A certain someone that's also experienced loss immensely?

I suppose that's what spurred me on after him… why I was now sitting here, heading to the gravesite of someone that was a complete stranger to me.

'Cause, that's exactly what I'll be doing again tonight, midnight… only tenfold.

They were both kinda similar with their disposition. But the cheery, always smiling, always bright demeanor was where their similarities end. 

When it came down to the grim and grimy… she faltered, she hid, she slept, and never told. 

But Tyler stayed smiling, stayed cheery… I'm an outsider to his story, an absolute nobody insisting I tag along, yet he didn't make me feel like I was intruding, I didn't feel unwelcome one bit. 

He shared his story, he opened up, and when I asked to know more - I didn't get shut out at once.

The complete opposite from a certain other gal I know.

People deal with loss in different ways, I know that. Maybe watching Tyler, maybe seeing how he handles it…

Maybe then I'll be able to know, if ultimately, Ria was handling it wrong. 

Tonight, midnight. After this, I won't be walking through that forest unprepared. Better get ready, Ria… you're about to be getting an intervention like nothing else.

I swear on it.

A long drive later, we finally reached - a place situated just right at the edge of town. It was quite barren, only a few buildings around here and there, not many loitering about either. I was surprised by how quiet it was, even the parking lot was empty.

I've never been to this place before… never had a reason to. Now I did.

"Still a ways away," Tyler said, retrieving his bulging trusty backpack from the backseat and strapping it around his shoulders once more. "Over the hill there. You ain't gonna mind the walk, right?"

Oh, more walking… 

"Yep," I said, hissing in a breath. "I don't mind."

So we walked we did, clambering up stone steps, and traversing across small grassy mounds, entering a cobble-paved path that opened up to an even wider trail.

It was this trail that brought us passing our first headstone, and it was only then upon catching sight of it that it dawned on me - I've never actually been to a cemetery before.

Sure, in my movies, the setting was plenty abundant… but in real life, the sight of all these graves… they were utterly foreign to me.

No one in my family has died… and any relatives I do have I was assured by my parents were all distant and overseas and I'll never likely see them. They really thought the lie through, didn't they?

Dying…

Death.

"Still going strong?" Tyler asked, turning a glance towards me. "Almost there now."

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah… lead the way."

If anybody I knew close to me died… if my sister, if my friends…

  if Ash died…

How would I deal with it?

Like Ria?

Like Tyler?

Okay, let's not think about this, you don't have to think about this… you're already fortunate enough that you never had to… just take a step back, relax...

And pray that you never will.