Siren

Beloved Father of Gigi

New Orleans 1819

The charred remains were gone; all that was left was a large patch of mud and dirt with patches of grass and weeds creeping up from the earth. If you didn't know the tragic story of what happened on this very spot years ago, you would never guess anything had happened here or even been built here at all.

I knew what had once existed right here in these large acres of land. It was once a magical place filled with happiness, laughter and love, now all that was just distant bittersweet memory.

Seven years. It had been seven years since I last stepped foot on this land, the happy memories were now tainted by fire and death.

I had gotten over my husband Charles death a long time ago, back then I was a young and naïve girl, who married her childhood sweetheart then started a family as soon as the golden wedding band was placed on my left ring finger.

I knew I loved Charles, but I wasn't in love with him, more infatuated than anything else. Charles was the perfect man, wealthy, handsome, kind and he loved me, but was I in love him, my teenage self said yes, but my now twenty-five year old jaded heart said no, he gave me a fantasy, a fantasy which was eventually taken from me.

Back then I had been the perfect, wife, mother and homemaker, it was what, was expected of me, back then I always dreamed of the perfect little family and I had it, I guess that's why I never dreamed bigger.

I did think of Charles often but only when my memories of him included Emmett, my one true love, my sweet love, my son, my Emmett.

Even after seven years the pain of losing my only child my little boy was still as fresh and felt like a knife cutting through my soul, my heart would never again be whole not without my sweet love, my Emmett.

***

***

Death, never got easier epically when it's the ones you love that go.

I watched with a sombre expression as my father was placed into the Claire family tomb, I didn't cry I had done enough of that when we said our goodbyes two nights ago.

I walked along the dark hallways of the infirmary, just like I had all those years ago when I had killed my maid Amelia. The woman who had ruined my life and killed my family, still to this day I didn't regret ending her life, what was that saying you reap what you sow.

Unlike the last time I walked these corridors at night, I wasn't here for vengeance, I was here for something much more important. I stopped outside the small single room at the end of the corridor and entered.

The room was dark except for a lone lantern on the bedside table, I heard heavy breathing coming from the small single bed in the corner, this made me frown. I walked towards the bed and sat on the small stool by the bedside; I grabbed the frail, wrinkled hand in mine and squeezed it tight.

"Who's there" the raspy voice commanded. I pulled my dark hood back and moved closer to the light.

"It's me Papa" I whispered.

"Gigi you came" my father's weak voice exclaimed, of course I had he was my father my only family left that mattered. My papa was the only person who could bring me back to this wrenched town after so long away.

"You should have sent for me sooner" I told him.

"I didn't want you to see me this way" he replied, I understood, the once strong, proud man, was now nothing but a pile of skin and bones. I knew he was dying he had told me in his letter but nothing could have prepared me for this.