Cinders Lie

Untitled Part 1

I walked home distrust that once again no one would talk to me. The old familiar path was winding and rocky. I dreaded going home because I would have to see her that way again and have to tell her that once again that everyone who could help wouldn't. I reached my home it was nothing more than a few boards held together with some old rusty nails and it seemed that a few pushes by a strong wind could have it topple over. Opining the door quietly I walked to the room that my mom slept in. Her face was pail her breath labored and her skin cold to the touch despite it being the middle of summer and her being under several thick blankets. She looked at me with a weak smile.

"Welcome home Vervain." She coughed.

"Mom, how are you feeling today? I tried to see if Mr. Cabrin would sell some medicine but he kicked me out of the store," I said rubbing my still tender behind.

"Vervain I need you to look at me," Mom said her voice becoming dark it was the mother's voice the voice that meant business. I turned my back straitening and trained my eyes on mom.

"I will not live much longer I have the same thing that Elizabeth had. This is the end no medicine is going to save me. Call your sister in please I want to see my daughters," She rasped. I ran to grab my sister she was playing near the river. She was not alone but despite that, you could see the divide between her and the other kids. She was playing with the doll as all the other kids where playing tag it sent a pang through my heart knowing what I did.

"Rosa Mom wants to see us," I called.

"Coming," She said walking towards me holding that doll she loves so much. I walked as slow as I could wanting to get to my mother but still not wanting to worry Rosa. When we reached the house, we found Mom standing caressing a book. The book was one of the last ones we had the rest had been sold to keep us out of debt.

"Mom what are you doing standing!" I said rushing to her side to bring her back to bed.

"Hush now Rain I love you to pieces but you worry way too much," Mom waved me off using a nickname I had not heard in years.

"sit down I want to read this to you two before it is my time to go," Mom said slowly making her way to the bed. If you could call it that it was just some hay covered in a blanket.

"Mom please let me help you to the bed." Mom just waved as the thin frail body finally collapsed into the bed.

"now then Rain sit down and just let me read this story to you," she said sternly with her raspy voice. Rosy jumped into the bed. I smiled it was times like this that made me feel like everything would be ok. I sat down grabbing Rosa and setting her down in my lap in the process. Mom opened the book and I finally could see what book she chose it was beauty and the beast one of her favorites. I lay down listening to the old familiar tale mom reads to me. My eyes begin to droop I soon find myself asleep.

*****

The sun and glared in my eyes from the old broken window. We had all fallen asleep in the bed last night but something wasn't right especially not compared to last night. The room was stale and the bed was colder than it should've been. I removed the blanket and looked around hoping it wasn't what I thought it was. I moved my way up to mom before touching her skin it had some slight warmth but it wasn't her own it's the warmth my sister and I shared with her corpse. Her skin was even paler than it was the night before but despite being dead she smiled. My heart broke because once again for the third time I have lost another parent but this time there was no one to fall back on. I slowly took my sleeping sister out of the bed. Rosy whined and nuzzled into me for warmth I made my way to her old bed and set her down. Holding down the tears I grabbed the shovel and made my way outside. One shovel full of dirt after another it took me all morning just to dig out that hole and I didn't even get that far. The whole was maybe three or four feet. I went back in to wake up my sister and eat some lunch Rosy could sleep all morning if I let her.