Chapter 36: Lies.
The next morning, Milo woke up to Mama Jane's cries and wailing, he doesn't get time to react before the adrenaline pumps into his veins and he runs to the source of the sound.
His legs eventually lead him to Mama Jane's room where the three other are standing by the door, Ezekiel had his both arms around Elliot and Remington who were crying silently, the oldest had an empty look in his eyes, he looked on the verge of crying but he wasn't giving into it.
"What's going on?" He whispers as he approaches them and tries to push through, his heart beating faster by the second when the worst scenarios start playing in his head.
"Go back to your room," Ezekiel's voice was hoarse as he let's go of his two siblings to keep Milo from entering the room.
Elliott and Remi proceed to cry in each other's arms and Milo laughs in denial as he starts to catch on what's happening.
"Where is Grandma Lou?" He looks around him, expecting her to appear out of nowhere and save the situation.
"Milo, go back to your room." Ezekiel insists, his eyes were blood shot but no tears came out, his hair was disheveled in every direction and he seemed to have just awoken from bed, just like him.
"I want to see Mama Jane!" Milo starts to resist Ezekiel hold only to be blocked by a stone hard chest and steel arms.
"I won't repeat myself-" Ezekiel proceeds to use a more severe tone to push the shorter male away but Remington's hand on his shoulder stops him from talking further.
"He is family," her strained voice interrupts. "We can let him in..."
Ezekiel seems to share her same opinion as realization drowns upon him, his head hangs down and he makes way for Milo to pass.
Upon entering the room, he notices Mama Jane hugging someone who's laying under white sheets.
Grandma Lou.
"Who's sleeping in your bed Mama?" Milo chuckles and she looks up at him, it was the first time he saw her cry or show anything close to pained.
Her green eyes were overtaken by a red color, her freckled cheeks were stained with a continuous stream of hot tears as she looked at him silently.
She quickly dries her tears with the back of her sleeves and stands up, she takes Milo into his arms and he holds on to her for dear life, burying his face into her neck as she invites the other three for a hug.
"She loved all of us," Mama Jane is the first to break the silence, kissing Remington's head gently as they cry their departed.
Silence overtakes the room, only sobs and sniffles are heard, Milo tilts his head to rest his cheek on Mama's shoulder when he notices a tree branche extending from under the white sheets.
Pushing away from the group hug and before any of them gets to stop him, he pulls the sheet away and gasps in bewilderment. There, on the soft bed, laid Grandma Lou, but instead of a normal human corpse, her skin looked like a tree's external skin, her once grey hair was now silver strings cascading down her shoulder and her finger nails looked like rough diamonds.
He doesn't get to watch more before Mama Jane pulls him around and glares down at him.
"What is this.... Where is Grandma Lou?" His eyes travel between the four of them and they stand there, unmoving. "This is truly the shittiest prank ever!" He starts to scream but Elliot's hand on his shoulder stops him.
"That is Grandma Lou." He tries to stay collected for the younger male in front of him but Mama Jane pulls him away.
"Bullshit, she is sleeping in her room in the attic!" Milo tries to push through the four of them and run to the attic but Mama stops him by holding his forearm.
"There is something you must know, darling." She sighs and he lets her drag him out as Remington pulls the sheets back on the very strange looking corpse.
Mama Jane takes him to her garden in the backyard, she rarely let anyone inside and he always thought it's because she kept all her healing and magical herbs in there, yet he was overtaken by the beauty of the vibrant colors and the heavenly smells.
Butterflies were batting their wings, leaving magical dust behind them and everything was blooming in different colors. The garden was circular shaped but close to a maze in it's design.
"You are not a witch..." He starts to chuckle at his stupidity when he watches her interact with the butterflies, ignoring his presence.
Of course she wasn't a witch, how could he believe that.
"It took you longer than I expected..." She smiles endearingly and opens her palm where a Jasmine flower blooms from her under her skin.
"What are you?" His eyes dance with fear and he takes a step back, ready to run for his life when she turns to look at him.
Suddenly, her hair starts to glow a vibrant orange, the white in her eyes becomes completely green and her fingers extend into long, thin branches and just when he thinks the transformation is done, flowers and leaves start to bloom on her hair and her dress is replaced by one made of tree leaves and the most beautiful exotic flowers.
"What are you..." Hot tears stream down his face, yet he doesn't know wether it's because Grandma Lou's death is more real now or if he's scared of what's happening in front of him.
"I am mother nature." He voice has changed, her words reminding him of the flow of rivers and chirping birds in the morning.
The dancing butterflies were quick to lay on her shoulders and he notices she had gained a couple of inches in height when she transformed to this new apparence.
"I am the embodiment of nature."
After hearing her words, everything started to make sense, how she was able to keep him hidden from the husbands, how she was able to delay his downfall and knows exactly everything he was going through without him asking.
Grandma Lou's calming effect on him, their acceptance of his human nature and how willing they were to help with nothing in exchange.
"Why did you lie to me..." He struggles to look her in the eyes, scared of it all being just another illusion and she heaves a long sigh.
"It wasn't my secret to share darling..." She takes a step towards him, her bare footsteps leaving silver behind her.
"What do you mean not your secret to tell?"
"I didn't lie to you, Milo. I am a witch, not the kind you know of..." She starts before taking his hand in hers and he stands still. "My mother is the original witch, Mother Nature..." Tears well up in her ears and he notices just how the sky above them gets gloomy. "After millennials, something happened and she decided to retire, making me enherit her title." She explains and he shakes his head.
"I want to leave..." He removes his hand from hers and she nods, respecting his wish without pushing his boundaries any further.
"Your path will bring you back..." She takes a step back as he walks towards the entrance.
"What do you mean? What path?" He snaps his head back to her with his palm on the door knob.
"You are mated to the Ruler of Hell for a reason." He wants to asks her what she meant but she turns into thousands of butterflies before his eyes, making his stand astonished by the door.
He couldn't believe that the only people he had trusted for the first time in a while we're hiding such a secret from him, he couldn't find it in him to blame them for it... After all, they helped him when he was in his lowest and did everything they could to keep him safe.
Was it selfish of him to feel betrayed due to their lack of trust.
He couldn't help the pain in his chest as he walked into his room and started collecting his valuables, like clothes they got him when he first arriver and the necklace Malcolm got him the last time they were together.
He finds the three siblings by the door when he is about to leave and no one says a word as he walks to the door but a hand holds his wrist and he is met with Ezekiel's firm chest.
They share a second hug for that day and the same thing with the other two.
"I hope you'll understand and forgive us, it wasn't our secret to share." Remington apologizes after breaking their hug and he nods.
"I don't blame you guys, I just need time for myself." He sniffles back the tears, he couldn't have imagine how much it'd hurt to leave them.
"Don't forget your pills." Elliott speaks from the back, putting a bottle of blue vervain pills in his backpack.
"And you can use this to call us whenever you are in trouble." Ezekiel passes him the phone and they share one more hug before he leaves.
He knew that if he stayed there longer, he'll not be able to leave at all. Yet, he knew he had to. He wasn't mad at them, but he couldn't help but feel hurt and lost. He needed to see his brothers and Abby, no matter how risky that was, he couldn't push it back anymore.
Mama Jane's words kept replying in his head when he walked outside the domain, the closest buss stop was 15 minutes away and he had earned some money from helping at the barn, more than enough to take a ride back to New York City at least.
You are mated to the Ruler of Hell for a reason
What did she mean by the Ruler of Hell? He knew for a fact that Toby was no ruler of anything, the dude barely kept his marriage running.
Malcolm... He fit the description very well, but last time he checked, he was a very powerful warlock. Maybe he took over Hell in his absence?
It looks like someone was busy these last couple of months. Questions about what could've happened to the five men during his absence invaded his mind during the bus ride to the closest town and he wonders why those thoughts invaded his mind as soon as he stepped outside of Mama Jane's territoire.
Referring to her as Mama Jane was suddenly unfitting, she was a fucking goddess, the daughter of mother nature, now she is mother nature.
The Original Witch is what she called Mother Lou.
Their interaction last night replayed in his mind and pictures of her peaceful wrinkly face invaded his thoughts, she was very kind to him, her words carried lots of wisdom, he only wished he had more time with her.
Then, as he ruffles through his backpack for a bottle of water to satiate his thirst, his hand falls on the pills and he remembers.
He never took his pills that morning.
—
Published: June 25th, 2021.
Edited: not yet.
Short chapter, I know! I'm very sorry, I'm currently stayin' at my cousin's home and the kids are ANNOYING.
Gosh, I hate kids, I can't truly write with noise so I'm sorry if this chapter is crappy or lacks action. I'll try to do a second update later.
Ps. I BROKE MY READERS ABILITY TO TRUST ME, SMH.
Reading your theories is the craziest part of my day ngl!!