The Dark Of Our Worlds

Secrets We Bury

"Let her kill me like she killed our father"

The words entered Lorelai like a knife, and suddenly she was screaming, screaming in a way she hadn't for nearly a hundred years.

"Fuck you Helga! FUCK YOU! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" She was no longer clawing at Miss Nuthatch, all her energy was going to screaming "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SHOW UP, IN MY LIFE, AND DREDGE UP WHAT HAPPENED! FUCK YOU!"

"Lorelai what is she talking about?" Alma's voice came from nowhere, Lorelai had forgotten she was even in the room. 

"Go on Lorelai" Helga hissed "Tell her"

Words died in Lorelai's throat, all she could do was scream and scream some more. She threw Miss Nuthatch from her and cleared the table beside her with one swipe. Alma was crying now, from the pain of seeing Lorelai like this, from the knowledge that the woman she loved was hiding things from her, she didn't know. A pain was rising in Lorelai's chest, a pain so terrible the world went black. 

When she woke up, she was laying in a warm, comfortable bed with a smell only one place in the world could have. Opening her eyes, she glanced around Alma's room only to find the Ymbryne sat on the bed beside her.

"Why is she here?" Was the first thing Lorelai could say. Her voice was hoarse and it hurt tremendously to use.

"What was she talking about?" Alma asked. It was clear she had been crying.

"I don't have to tell you" She had said it before she had time to think and instantly regretted it. Alma's face dropped and she averted her gaze to her lap. 

"I'm not your enemy Lorelai" Alma's voice was shaking and Lorelai wanted nothing more than to hold her, but she couldn't.

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours" She mumbled.

"Helga showed up on my doorstep, much like..." The name Albert died in Alma's throat, but Lorelai knew who she was referring too "I thought it was you at first" The Ymbrynes voice was laced with shame "I got so excited... but then I saw her eyes. I couldn't turn her away, not when she looked so much like you. I guess I hoped that I could pretend it was you, but it didn't really work. You're not very alike"

"Believe me, I know" Alma was looking at Lorelai, an expectant look in her eyes. She knew what she was waiting for "You know when I told you I discovered my peculiarity and ran away before anyone else could?" Alma nodded and Lorelai took a deep breath, trying to centre herself "It was a lie. I was sat on the beach one day when I was 14, while we were on holiday. I was bored and started singing to myself. My- our father was behind us, and my peculiarity... It worked on him. He ran over to me, I thought that supper was ready or something, but he just grabbed me" Tears were flowing down Lorelai's face, her arms crossed defensively "His hands... they were everywhere. It was like her was trying to claw me open, rip me apart. I wanted to get away. I tried to get away, but he just wouldn't get off of me. I- I ran into the ocean, it was all I could think to do... and he followed me. I swam really far out but got caught in the waves. I- I remember this strange feeling, that was the first time my tail formed. I tried to swim to the bottom, I thought he couldn't follow me there... but he did. He- I-" 

Alma pulled Lorelai into her chest, running a hand through her hair as she sobbed into her chest.

"I didn't mean to kill him" 

It was barely more than a whisper, but Alma's heart shattered worse than it had when Lorelai had been screaming.

"I took his body back to the shore. I didn't know how I was going to explain it, I guess I didn't have to. When my mother and Helga saw me, next to his body, they started screaming at me. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed."

Alma stared at Lorelai, stunned by disbelief that the woman she had welcomed into her home, should want the woman she loved dead. To Alma's horror, Lorelai continued. 

"Then they saw the tail. A man or woman who is a medium or necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them. They thought I was working with demons or something. All I could do was flee to the ocean.

Those bible verses had never left Lorelai's mind, every time she caved to her peculiar needs, they played in her head, over and over. Sinner! Sinner! Sinner!

Lorelai's next words came as a broken whisper.

"Please don't hate me"