Painland Week 2025 Day 2: Song Fic
“And when my life is almost done When it’s close to through I know my only hope will be One more minute with you”
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At some point, Charles had stopped shivering. He felt warm and safe, wrapped up in the blankets Edwin had found for him, tucked away in the attic. Safer than he’d ever felt at this school before. Safer than he’d felt for a long time.
Edwin was reading aloud from a magazine—some old-timey detective story he liked. Charles couldn’t remember the last time someone had read a story to him. Edwin was even doing voices for the different characters. Edwin was pretty mint all around, offering kind words to Charles and answering his questions and staying with him while he rested. He wondered how long Edwin would stay with him, if he asked him to.
Charles wished this night with Edwin could last forever.
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“There is a sigh A voice in the wind Reminding me taking you hand was a chance It’s the bravest I’ve been”
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Edwin froze as the blue light appeared in the attic. It lacked the warmth of the lantern’s glow, but was no less soft. Death herself was gentle, by all accounts, and would take Charles somewhere he could never be hurt again.
Edwin knew he should run. Charles would soon recover from whatever temporary insanity made him prefer Edwin’s company. A boy as kind and brave as Charles deserved a peaceful afterlife. Edwin couldn’t allow this boy to slow him down when he ran—or worse, risk Charles being dragged to Hell along with him.
But Charles held out his hand. An offer of companionship, of friendship, of someone to run away with instead of eternally running simply away. And Edwin chose to be selfish.
Edwin grasped Charles’ hand and smiled as they fled the school together.
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“Open arms Hearts unveiled Decades we spend tending friends As they witness this trip without fail”
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Being a ghost detective was pretty mint all around, in Charles’ opinion. He got to have adventures and solve mysteries with his best mate, and they got to help people. They were doing good and making a difference.
Most of their clients were ghosts and moved on to their afterlives when their cases were closed, but there were a few who stuck around and stayed in touch. They also found a few friends and contacts in the London supernatural community. There was that nice lady who ran the apothecary shop who always enjoyed a good story. There was a medium who fed the pigeons at St. Paul’s Cathedral and could be relied upon for useful tidbits of gossip. And there was that fussy bookshop owner in Soho who refused to sell his antique books for any price, but would occasionally let Edwin peruse certain arcane texts in exchange for other favors.
There were people who cared about them, who would notice if something happened, and Charles was pretty chuffed about that. But Edwin would always be his favorite friend and the most important person in his existence.
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“And when my life is almost done When it’s close to through I know my only hope will be One more minute with you”
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Edwin knew it was time to leave when Charles looked down at his dead body in the attic. Kind soul that he was, he didn’t get angry at Edwin for hiding the truth from him. Someone as good as Charles would certainly be welcomed into his afterlife by Death, and Edwin needed to run before she appeared.
Edwin meant it when he said he wished they could be friends for longer. But he knew that people like Charles did not stay forever with people like Edwin. People like Edwin never got to keep friends for very long.
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“How many springs Will brilliantly come? How many steps we have left, we don’t know So let’s cherish each one”
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Charles knew he was dead, but he felt freer and more alive in those first weeks as a ghost than he ever had while he was alive. He could go anywhere he wanted and do whatever he pleased, and his dad would never know. And best of all, he had a friend with which to share this exciting new world of possibility.
There was so much about the modern world he wanted to show Edwin, so much he wanted to experience with his new friend by his side. They snuck into movie theaters to watch mystery films together, into museums where Charles explained about the events and technology Edwin had missed out on, into clubs where Edwin watched in bemusement while Charles sang and danced to his heart’s contentment. Sometimes they’d sit for hours in companionable silence at a library, Edwin poring over books while Charles listened to music on his headphones. Whenever Edwin hesitated over trying a new experience, Charles pointed out that they didn’t know how long they had before Death caught up with them, so they might as well enjoy it while they could.
Deep down, Charles wondered how long this could last before Edwin inevitably grew tired of him hanging around. Charles was aces with people, but everyone he knew had eventually abandoned him or turned on him. Edwin wasn’t like that, Edwin was good, but even his patience for Charles’ antics would have limits.
Charles was determined to make the most of this, the best time of his existence, for as long as it lasted.
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“Look at the time Dressed up and thin It winks as whispers, now listen Forever’s as long as you live”
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Edwin tried convincing Charles to leave, but Charles wouldn’t hear of it. Their last case had been too difficult, too dangerous, Edwin insisted, and had nearly ended both of them. Charles deserved better than this, and he had his afterlife waiting for him. They’d had a good run together, but it was time for him to move on.
And Charles turned to Edwin, looking more serious than Edwin had ever seen him, and promised that he wasn’t going anywhere. They were staying together for good. Edwin was the only afterlife Charles wanted. Edwin could hardly turn him away after that.
Charles had promised forever. But Edwin knew that forever had limits. One day, danger, Death, or Hell itself would catch up with them. But Edwin was selfish. He would take every second of that forever that he could.
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“And when my life is almost done When it’s close to through I know my only hope will be One more minute with you”
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Charles couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could only grip the branch in front of him as the tendrils of the giant extradimensional mushroom tugged at him, threatening to pull him and Edwin into its toothy maw and oblivion. They’d been in worse scrapes before, but he wondered if this might really be it, the end of the storybook for the Dead Boy Detectives.
Charles looked to his left at Edwin, his best friend, the best person he’d ever met, and knew he would still choose this again, every time. He reached out and clasped Edwin’s hand in his own. Edwin met his gaze, and a look of understanding and love passed between them.
They were still together. And as much as complete obliteration would suck, it was still better than letting that afterlife lady split them up and take Edwin back to Hell. They were staying together, no matter what.
He only wished they could have more time.
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“Here we’re together, together we’re home But we all make our entrance and exit alone”
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Edwin agreed with Charles’ assessment that their new office was pretty mint, and helped them look the role of proper detectives. It would be nice to have a place that was theirs, a place to keep their books and supplies, a place they could call their home. In truth, Edwin privately felt that any place he shared with Charles would be home for him.
But he knew it couldn’t last forever. The blue or red light caught up with every ghost eventually. One day, Charles would make his final journey with Death to a place where Edwin couldn’t follow.
But for now, they had this. For now, they were home. Together.
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“Love survives This I believe Carried wherever we go It’s how I know it’s you when we meet”
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Charles knew they didn’t have time for this, they needed to get out of here, but Edwin was pouring his heart out to him, actually crying on the stairs below him, and Charles couldn’t let Edwin think for one minute that he would ever abandon him. There was too much at stake here, and too many feelings churning inside of him for him to properly sort them out right now, but he needed Edwin to know the important part. Edwin was his most important person. They were best friends, and that would never change, no matter what. And they could figure out the rest together, after they escaped.
He didn’t know if it was the kind of love that Edwin wanted, or the kind that Edwin deserved—because Edwin deserved the best—but Charles knew he loved Edwin. He figured he’d probably loved Edwin since that first night in the attic when Edwin had handed a lantern to a dying boy and stayed to read him a bedtime story. Edwin was the best person he knew. And he couldn’t lose him.
Charles could never accept any existence without Edwin.
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“And when my life is almost done When it’s close to through I know my only hope will be One more minute with you”
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Edwin still couldn’t quite believe it. The Night Nurse and her superior had left. He and Charles stood alone in their office, their home. They could stay. They could stay together.
Edwin’s strongest, most selfish wish of keeping Charles with him for just a while longer was suddenly a reality stretching into a possible infinity. For the first time in his existence, Edwin was left speechless with joy.
And Charles was clearly just as delighted by the prospect of eternity together as he was.
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“I know my only hope will be One more minute with you”
(If you’re curious, the song is “One More Minute” by Ann Reed and you can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V9-hZQnAjQ)