A Scientific Rejection, Book I: The Making (On Indefinite Hiatus)

Chapter Eight (C): The Pain of Grief and A Balm of Relief

This work, A Scientific Rejection, is copyrighted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This includes all chapters, prologues/epilogues and associated content (i.e fanfics, teasers and content within blogs, social networks and eReaders). Any unauthorised copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution or selling of this work constitutes as an infringement of copyright. Any infringement of this copyright is punishable by law. Any associated links, videos or photographs are not the property of the author, and no assertion of copyright or ownership is made or intended.

__________________________________________________________

Chapter Eight (C): The Pain of Grief and A Balm of Relief

Elly trudged through the woods with her arms wrapped around her torso, her head bent downward as she gazed downward at the ground. Depression ate at her, draining her energy and fueling her desperation for relief. She didn’t want her eldest boys to go, but Eli supported their decision to work and to travel while they were young. He said it gave them purpose.

“Purpose!” she grumbled. What about her purpose? How long had she been told that her line bred strong, indomitable pups? Was it so wrong that she wanted to keep her babies nearby? It was ironic that everyone had made such a big deal about childbearing, and she’d only had four pups in nearly seven hundred years of mating. They’d thrived, though, she grudgingly admitted to herself. After Wolfpax, they were restless after never finding their mates. Leaving home, leaving her, had been good for them. Did it have to hurt so much, though? She shook her head, dashing the tears from her eyes and stopping for a moment to clear her head.

This wasn’t good for Thandie. It wasn’t good for Theo either, but the boy was so obtuse, he probably didn’t even realize she had a problem. Thandie, though…. Her little girl may not always know how to properly address the emotions of others, but she was so sensitive to the nuances. She had seen it in her eyes while they walked earlier. Didi was worried.

Elly had tried hard to allay her child’s fears, wanting to be a good mother. Every time she tried to open her mouth to talk, sobs threatened to overtake her voice, and so in the end, she’d said nothing. Knowing that her silence hurt her little girl made her feel like such a failure. She wanted to send her away with a good mental picture, secure in the knowledge that her parents were strong, and that they were behind her decision to go every step of the way. That was far more than her own parents had been able to give her, God rest their souls. Her last memories of them had been of their terror stricken faces as they screamed at her to, “Run!” She stopped, flinching, placing her hands over her ears and shaking her head as she struggled to shut it out. Fought against hearing her mother scream that single word for the last time. “No.” she whispered, pleadingly. “No!”

“Elly,” came a deep and gentle voice as strong, massive arms wrapped around her, and gathered her against a hard chest. “It’s all right, Baby. I’m here,” he said, rocking her gently back and forth as he had done when she was a child.

For a while, all Elly could do was cry long, painful sobs, wetting the fabric in before her as it absorbed her tears. The unyielding strength of those arms held her up, even as she felt her strength waning. She knew that without their strong support she would fall to the ground and curl up in a ball until she could again find the energy to make her way home. “Grandpa, why?” she sobbed in a broken whisper as she desperately clung to him. “Why did they have to leave me? I’m so tired. I’m so scared….”

“Shh shh. I know. I know. She was your mom, but she was my baby first,” he told her, a single tear falling down one smooth mahogany cheek as he breathed a shaky sigh. “My greatest regret is that I wasn’t here for you when you lost your parents. So much pain, so much grief, and you must have felt so alone with your only family on the other side of the world.”