Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch. 18 - Surprise

For the most part, Lucas left me alone for the rest of the day besides when bringing me a tray of some buttered bread. It remained untouched on the pale yellow plastic plate that it rested on. I wasn't hungry. In fact, I couldn't be less interested in food despite the gnawing feeling of my stomach eating itself. It didn't bother me, though. Oddly, I took comfort in it as it was the only thing I could feel after my entire body had become numb to the world. As I laid on my stomach, I hung off partially off the bed as I looked at the tray on the ground. I counted the crumbs over and over again that had broken off the bread that Lucas had brought me earlier. There were fourteen of them. I knew I was being mental, but I didn't care.

One crumb, my mom is dead.

Two crumbs, my dad is dead.

Three crumbs, mom is dead.

Four, dad is dead.

It continued on and on like that until Lucas broke me out of my trance.

I knew he thought I was losing it. Honestly, he might be right. Reaching out to me, I took his hand as he helped me off the bed and led me to the bathroom before turning on the shower. While he felt to check the temperature of the shower, I sat on the bench by the bathtub before he joined me, taking a key out of his pocket and unlocking my tracking bracelet. After tucking the bracelet safely in his pocket, he went on to slowly unwrap my bandages before tossing them in the garbage bin close by.

As he got up heading to the linen closet,

I stated, "I'd rather take a bath."

Sighing, he turned around with a towel and washcloth in hand

"I think we both know that isn't the best idea. Maybe in a little bit. After whatever this is passes,"

Privacy was not a luxury I was allowed, only the illusion of it. However, I didn't even get that right now.

After tucking the bracelet safely in his pocket, he went on to slowly unwrap my bandages before tossing them in the garbage bin close by.

Lucas exited after placing the towels on the bench next to me, leaving me to shower. I stripped out of my soiled dress and stepped onto the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. Standing up, I walked over to the shower, and I opened the door as a wave of steam hit my face before stepping in. I grabbed a familiar earthy smelling bar of soap and lathered it up between my hands before cleaning the last twenty-four hours worth of sweat and grime off of my body. I then massaged my head with shampoo until I could feel the strands of my hair squeak between my fingers, signaling that I had removed the excess oils that had accumulated from my scalp. I then gently cleansed my arms of the residue of ointments that had been applied to both of them many hours before. My wounds felt a little better, and I could tell they had begun the healing process with the coloration of the scabbing. Leaning on the wall, I let the water fall onto my face while I stood there, just wishing for it all to stop and go back to normal. But this world was my new normal. 

I was a witch and my world would never be normal again.

I shook my head, attempting to get myself together. I knew that moping would not get me anywhere. Abruptly, I turned the nozzle of the shower to as cold as it would go and stood there trying to wake my mind up.

After finishing up, I grabbed the towel that I had left right outside the shower door and began to tightly wrap it around my naked body before I heard a knock at the bathroom door before it slowly cracked open.

"Jo?"

His voice echoed into the room as I stiffened.

"Yes?"

He peered in before walking in with new bandages for my arms. He grabbed a dry cloth prior to sitting on the bench adjacent to the tub motioning for me to come to him. I sat next to him again as he patted my arms dry after he reapplied ointment to my jagged wounds all up my arms before wrapping them tightly in gauze.

As he finished up and put my tracking bracelet back on, he reached in his pocket and took out my mother's ring that I had thrown on the ground.

"I can bring it to the jewelers if you'd like it when I go to pick up your watch?"

I looked at it and saw that it was structurally sound. I shook my head no and said,

"No, it will be fine like this."

He took my hand in his before gently sliding it on to my finger. This made me uneasy. I let him do it all the same. I didn't like his comfort level with me. But what could I do? I had my work cut out for me if I ever hoped of gaining his trust, especially after the troubling reaction that I had exhibited since my interaction with Dalila and my mother's powers being given to me.

As I followed Lucas out of the bathroom, I saw that he had put out warm flannel pajamas for the night for me on the bed before he left me for the night. After putting them on, I laid on the disgustingly soft mattress for an hour or so before I couldn't stand it any longer. Grabbing a throw blanket off the end of the bed I wrapped it around my body before I moved down to the hardwood floor.

It was comforting listening to the sounds of creaking of the foundation of the house on a windy night and the vibrations that followed that I felt through the wood as the wind shrieked as it whipped past the window. I stayed like this until I could see the break of daylight creeping into my eyes and jumped back onto the bed. I knew Lucas had slept by the door because I heard him moving throughout the night right outside. He was probably making sure I didn't try to off myself.

I heard him get up and walk down the stairs before I took a nap, only to be woken up to the smell of scrambled eggs and toast permeating throughout the room as Lucas opened the door. His hair was disheveled, and I could see dark circles under his eyes, showing me he had not slept well if at all. As enticing as a beautiful breakfast like this usually was, I still had no appetite. He had brought me a glass of water, which I sipped on before he went into the closet and brought out a robe and slippers to match. He smiled as he handed them to me

"Let's go downstairs. I made breakfast and I have a surprise to tell you about."

I hesitantly put on the robe and slowly slipped my feet into the slippers. Could it be the ceremony he and Silas had been talking about?

As I sat at the kitchen table, I picked at my food. The smell was almost nauseating. He was filling up a large cup of milk for himself as he offered to fill me up a glass as well, but I declined and sipped my water. He sat down and took a huge bite of eggs.

I waited a moment, watching his jaw work the eggs up and down,

"So what is this surprise you were talking about?"

He put a finger up as he continued masticating his food before the bob of his Adam' apple signaled he had finished before washing the remnants down with his drink.

"I think you're going to like it. "We're going to go visit your grandfather.", he smiled.