Promises Unkept

Death did them Part.

She entered the room calling for Maggie.

The room was too dark. The candles were none lit. The curtains were all drawn.

She found Maggie lying in bed and Eden sitting by her on the chair, quite blankly, rubbing Margaret's palm with her own hands, staring at the sleeping face unblinkingly.

"Eden?" Carol frowned. "What's wrong? Is Maggie unwell?"

Eden looked up at her and smiled. "She is well."

"Eden. Are you...."

"Hush!" Eden whispered softly, her eyes strangely wide. "It's raining. It's cold. Maggie is cold."

"Maggie is cold? I see." Carol sauntered closer to the bed. "Mrs. Hopkins is calling for you two."

"Can't come." Eden mumbled single-mindedly and restarted rubbing Magpie's hand. "Maggie is cold."

Perhaps it was the abnormal way in which Eden spoke and appeared, or perhaps it was just too uncommon for Maggie to be seen in such still state of rest, Carol felt a dread swirling in her bosom.

"Eden. Is something wrong?" Carol reached for Maggie's forehead. "Is Maggie..."

That was when Carol's finger encountered Maggie's rigid flesh. She felt it, was cut short. But unlike Eden, she didn't back away.

Her hand stilled on that frozen skin until there was no mistaking it.

Carol clapped her hand on her mouth as Eden sat indifferently rubbing hands and staring at Maggie.

The defeat began to play its pitiless game.

Carol ran out of the room.

***

Mrs. Hopkins didn't exactly understand whatever Carol blubbered to her.

But she understood it had something to do with Maggie. It had something ghastly to do with Maggie.

When she barged into the room with Bella and Caro and Devin on the leash, she found Maggie prone on bed, covered in quilt and blankets, head rolled to side, very white and Eden rubbing her hand in sheer concentrated air.

Eden looked up and Mrs. Hopkins eyes met with her vacant ones.

"Maggie is cold." Eden whispered. "Let me warm her."

Carol was instantly around the bed at Eden's side. She freed Maggie's stiff hand from Eden's heated finger and pulled the girl away from the bed.

"What?" Eden inquired absently, looking confused, but Carol had no words to spare. Her throat was clogged out of words. Only tears.

Bella broke crying, Carol, who was holding Eden turned her face away and Mrs. Hopkins mumbled a prayed inaudibly.

"Eden." Mrs. Hopkins voice was trembling. "What had happened?"

"Nothing." Eden spoke, then paused like a chastised child who could lie no more. "Maggie is bleeding."

"Bleeding?"

Devin came forth and removed the quilt off Maggie's body.

And behold lay, a sight so cruel, that eyes could hardly believe what they saw.

Blood.

So much blood.

Whole of Maggie's lower half and the bed mattress dripped red. Dripped blood.

Gore.

Devin whipped around and ran out of the room.

"Holy...!" Mrs. Hopkins gasped, backing away. "What unholy happened Eden?"