Chapter 1 - Part 11: Eternal Flame

The very next day there was an emergency at the stadium where Cecil was attending his first day of work.  Naturally, he was petrified as he knew his father was inside battling some unknown catastrophe.

Turns out it was nothing major.  The same guy who'd installed the air conditioning incorrectly at the hospital must have done the stadium as well.  No harm came to Morand and Cecil's first day of work went on, uninterrupted.

Cecil had been requested to visit a club he had never heard of as part of a publicity stunt.  Being the Fire Chief had lead him into gaining some noteriety around town and a self-appointed agent had been calling him, asking him to show up at various places for seemingly pointless reasons.

This place, however, was very different.  It was called "The Crypt Club" and was located in a very creepy cemetery, underground.  The venue immediately gave Morand the shivers making the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

He nervously put on a brave face and told the very pale bouncer that he was there at the bar owner's request.  The man simply grunted and let him through the velvet rope.

Walking into the place, he'd never felt more nervous in his life.  It was dark, it was dimly lit and most of all, it was ... deathly.

What have I gotten myself into, Morand thought as he looked around the place.  This certainly wasn't your normal local watering hole.

He sat down at the bar and ordered the drink he'd been sent there for.  The music was somber, the place was virtually... dead, and most of all Morand didn't like the way the employees were looking at him with a fierce hunger in their cold black eyes.

He guzzled down his drink as quickly as possible and practically ran out of there with the feeling that if he'd stayed any longer, he might have ended up on the menu.

There was no way he was going back or have anything to do with those people again.

After a night filled with blood sucking nightmares, Morand awoke to a new day.  This was the eve of Faith's birthday, her teenage years just around the corner.  The two decided to spend a Father/Daughter day going to Faith's favorite place, the park.

For Morand, it was like reverting back to a childhood that he didn't really remember, playing on the playground equipment and acting like a kid again.  

They even spent some time fishing, Faith's current passion.  She had found all the local fishing spots and had been bringing in some really nice sized fish, which Morand then cooked up for the two of them for dinner.

Though not all of them went into the frying pan.  Some of them got homes, like Flakes.

When it came time for bed, Faith requested something she hadn't asked for since she was a toddler, a bedtime story.  Granted, back in those days, the books Morand read her weren't quite so technical, but it was Faith's choice, so he gave in to her whim, even letting her snuggle into the "big bed" for the night.

She was soon asleep and Morand couldn't help but take this quiet moment to simply be with his daughter.  She was looking more and more like Dixie with each passing birthday, he was happy that her memory was living on through their child.

He kissed his little girl goodnight for the last time, as after tonight, she wouldn't be little any more.

The party was small, just a few neighbors and her big brother.  As Faith mostly kept her nose in various books, she hadn't really met a lot of the other students at school nor counted any of the other kids as friends.

Father and son.  Morand was extremely proud of Cecil when he broke the news that he'd tried out for and gotten a spot on the local baseball team, the Pink Flamingos.  He was on due at practice, but wanted to make sure to stop by for Faith's birthday.

Wishes were made, candles were blown out, and Faith grew into a teenager.

She thanked her big brother for coming and promised to come see him play soon.

The Cagley family was growing up.

OUTAKES

I love the Sparkle Rocket! She's workin' that look!

The mutant!

Title / The Bangles