✓ Heavenly

072. On The Other Side

The voice she received in return was completely different, but so familiar. "Venus, sweetheart." It spoke.

A figure, tall and dark, approached nearer and nearer. Venus thought she should back away, but whoever was there, didn't feel dangerous or threatening.

"Venus." Sirius' voice was no longer a disembodied echo, but coming from him. He was there, right in front of her. "You're here, why are you here?"

"I don't- I don't know." Venus went in to hug him which he graciously returned, rubbing her back soothingly.

Sirius pulled away, a look of realization dawning his face. Like clouds blocking the sun from view and engulfing everyone below in cool darkness.

"I am so sorry, sweetie." He uttered under his breathe.

"Sorry for what—"

Another tap. She spun around and an angelic face stared back at her. Kind of like a mirror, her mother locked eyes with her. Immediately pulling her into a hug, Venus smiled into her mothers neck. Although, Venus felt the back of hers get damp.

The mother and child separated, a concerned daughter and upset mother held each others arms, like a powerful tide was going to rip them apart in the mean time.

"Mum, what's going on?" Venus stares into her mothers face, hoping for the first time in her life, Astrid Rosario would walk her through this (god awful) situation.

"Sweetheart, you died." She stated softly, but her tenderness couldn't stop the impact of her words. She was dead. Venus had died in Malfoy Manor in front of the people she loved.

"I'm ... dead?" Venus repeated hoping she'd jolt out of the nightmare that was lasting a bit too long.

Someone grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around in their direction. Constance looked at Venus with a frightful face, throwing her arms around the girls neck.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." She sobbed, clutching onto Venus' arms. "I saw my parents, but it was weird. I don't- I don't-" she choked in between syllables. "I don't know what the fuck is going on."

"We died." Venus said numbly, not attempting to cushion the vigor of her statement. "We're dead, Constance."

"What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Talking. About. Venus." Constance was frantic, tears clinging onto her eye lids but their grip broke as they fell down her cheeks and into the fabric of her turtleneck.

"I saw my parents too. My mom. She told me." Venus glanced back at the spot her mother had just been standing in. "She told me that I died. If you're here, obviously not acting like a lifeless embodiment of death, you're dead too."

"Is this heaven?" Constance questioned, pointing at the white background surrounding them.

"Feels more like hell."

Constance's arms zoomed to her eyes, shielding them from something Venus couldn't see. She turned around and put her head in her knees refusing to look up whenever Venus tried to shake her out of her position.

"Stop! I think I just went blind." Constance smacked her hands over her eyes when Venus managed to pry her head out of her knees.

"What are you talking about?"

"That bright light over there." Constance pointed behind them. The doors into the foyer, which before their deaths were gloomily black and tall. They still remained tall, but painted white with more distinct cravings into the wood. Venus couldn't lie, they were beautiful but a breath caught in her throat when the first comparison she could think of were The Gates of Heaven.