Diamond Valley Herald, Public Notices, Nov. 6, 20__ [redacted]
Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https:// [redacted]
The Diamond Valley Sheriff’s office hereby announces the death of one William A. Gautier, male, age undetermined. He was born and lived, a fact to which many Valley residents can attest, but he left nothing behind: no spouse, no children, no estate—not even his earthly remains, of which nothing has yet been found.
Gautier’s legacy is contained in only a few scattered photos, his face almost always hidden by smoke or shadow or stains on the photographic print itself. An image of him was rumored to have appeared in the Roswell Daily Record; however, this office’s FOIA requests have received no response.
The deceased is survived, will always be survived (of that we can be certain) by others—dark figures in slouch hats, sunglasses, and suits that seem oddly out of date. These men will be like him, but they are not him. They will have their own memories of grassy knolls, clock towers, situation rooms, and autopsy tables. The frames of their glasses will change, as will the width of their lapels, and perhaps the angle of the hats and the cut of the hair underneath, but their names will be just as average. They are all, effectively, the same.
There will be no service for Gautier. Everyone who would have known him already wears black. He will not be mourned, for to mourn is to remember, and William Gautier will not be remembered. It is important to know this, and to subsequently forget.
About the author:
Amanda Hard holds an MFA in creative writing from Murray State University in Kentucky. Her dark poetry and fiction have appeared in several magazines and anthologies. She is currently at work on a middle grade thriller/adventure novel.
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