"Orville, dear, your coffee's finished!" a grainy, withered voice called from the upstairs kitchen. Dr. Churchill still felt that it was the most beautiful and calming voice he had ever heard. Even after fifty years, the voice still had its melodic course that immediately pulled Orville out of his deep stupor.
"Of course, my dearest." He carefully placed his pen on the desk and let it fall to the floor as he leaned into his creaky chair. "Of course..." he mumbled. The basement wasn't a peaceful haven, more stressful, really.
Little did he know, he would experience the last week of life, and the first taste of death, in this very basement.
Soft piano slowly made its way into young Orville's ears as he lay staring at the dull ceiling, the sweltering summer heat creeping into his bedroom. "Ooooooorrrrrrvillllleeee!" called his sister Lucille. She came bouncing into his bedroom, her tiny braids swaying. "Orville!"
"What're you doing in here, Lou?"
"Breathing." She paused. "I found a body."
The room stilled.
Without making a sound, Orville arose from the comfort of his bed.
"...What do you mean?" Orville hesitated. Lucille was still calm. As if she'd seen it before.
"I mean a dead one." Lucille's eyes were still dull and unsurprised.
"W....where?"
"By the playground. He looked happy...happy to be dead."
"Lou...you need to tell Mama."
"But Louisa told me not to."
"Louisa Brown?"
"No. Louisa."
"Okay..." Orville nervously pushed up his glasses and chewed his thumbnail.
"Wanna see it?" Lucille still looked unaffected.
"N-no.. that's okay."
"Come on, Orville." Lucille's voice had split into two, one voice smaller, lighter, softer. Like music. His stomach lurched.
"No. I said no." He regretted it immediately. He hated refusing his younger sibling. But Lucille only shrugged and left. He took a deep breath.
"Coffee's wonderful, Louisa dear." Orville cleared his throat.
"Anything for you." Louisa, his wife, kissed his forehead. "I need to run to town for a bit. I'm quite sure you have an appointment with little Lucy."
"Yes...I do." Orville chugged the last of his bitter coffee.
