The Remains

XXV - Jess

I bumped my three small pieces of ash into Aunt Rosia's lounge window. She was sleeping on the opposite side of the room in her rocking chair. I backed away from the glass pane, and went to look for another entrance.

The old lady's eyes snapped open. She was looking right at me.

I edged away from the window.

She hauled herself to her feet, and waddled over to the window. I floated back, closer to the house. She tugged the stuck window open, and squinted. "It's alright Dear. I know you're out there. I know about you Remnants. You'll be safe in here."

I edged my pieces closer to the window. She scooped me up in her hand. "They... burned you, didn't they?" She closed the window, and placed me down on a doily. "Is this all that's left of you? Just these three pieces? Move, just a little, for yes."

I stayed still. I could still feel my pieces in the other town being blown around in the oily grime of the streets.

She sat back down in her rocking chair. "Can you even move on your own free will?"

I concentrated on a spot just above where I was sitting, and my ash drifted upwards towards it. Even the ash back in the other town were pulled towards it.

She rocked backwards with a hum. "Well, that's a start. Did you know me before you died?"
I drew my ash upwards again. In the distance, I could hear a car engine.

"Am I part of your family?"

I moved my ash.

"Are you a child of my sister? Sabina?"

I moved my ash. The car was getting closer.

She got up again, and rushed over to a cupboard on the far side of the room. I watched as she pulled out a cardboard tube, and pulled out a massive sheet. A family tree. Aunt Rosia drew her finger down one of the branches, and rested on a name with four branches coming off from it. Sabina. "Rest on your name."

I willed my pieces into the air, and drifted over to the chart. Lionel, Jess, Sanders, and Samuel. I drifted over to the leaf marked 'Jess'. The car stopped outside. I heard a car door shut.

Aunt Rosia picked up the pieces in her hand. "My Dear. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. About our family. About-"

The was a knock at the door. Aunt Rosia carefully placed me down, and opened the door.

The man in the purple suit wiped his feet on the mat, and smiled. "Good to see you Mother. It's been so long..."

Aunt Rosia took a slow step backwards. "Albane. This is... a surprise."

Albane adjusted his suit jacket, and closed his eyes. He opened them, and looked straight at my few pieces of ash in the room. "And we have company? Who's this?"

Aunt Rosia stepped between my pieces and Albane. "None of your concern. Why are you here?"

He smiled. "You know why I'm here. No loose ends. This curse, it ends with me."

Aunt Rosia gave a wane little smile. "Come now. My child bearing days are over."

"Because death isn't the end of us. We need to be stopped. Someone needs to take responsibility." He drew a knife, and a pen out of his jacket pocket. "How are your writing skills, Mother?