I Am Her - ONC 2024

Chapter 8 - Mother

Andrew's heart attack caused quite the commotion, which Angela thought a bit strange since she hadn't seen anyone nearby when she came in, but she assumed that all those passengers must have arrived in the meantime. She couldn't help but feel annoyed by their presence, given that she was having a hard enough time already as she tried desperately to revive the frail old man laying helplessly on the floor, but she supposed that it was to be expected in such a situation. People talked in hushed whispers, worrying and gossiping and just generally wondering what could happen next, regardless of how much they didn't care for the old man, and annoyed as she was, Angela blocked all their voices out, irritated by their nosiness.

"Somebody call a doctor!" a random person shouted amidst the crowd, which reminded everyone that calling a doctor was probably the best thing to do in this situation and that they probably should have done that a few minutes ago to further ensure he would stay alive, but unfortunately, they only had Angela, whose rudimentary knowledge of CPR wasn't enough to bring him back, not that it was too big of a deal that such an old man had died, anyway.

Still, neutral as the denizens of Laeternas tried to be, they couldn't make themselves truly feel that way. Sure, he was really old, and it was normal for him to die like that, but they knew very well that the circumstances surrounding it weren't normal. A group of friends had been standing outside the bookstore while it was happening, wanting to see Marissa's lover because of how curious they were, and they saw that the old man saw the photograph, which they had seen as well. Terrified of the woman in it and the heart attack the memory of her had given the old man, they ran to inform everyone they could, turning the event into a sensation. 

Angela knew this, for they themselves had given the account of the situation, and she resented them for it. What a bunch of gossipy jerks, she thought, caring about nothing but having something interesting to engage with, as to make up for their dull and empty lives. She hated people like that. It made her sick to her stomach, especially as she tried her hardest to suppress the tears that were burning her eyes and they did nothing but whisper amongst themselves.

"Let's get out of here," Angela said as she led Marissa outside, sick of the strangers and the noise, invisible amongst the crowd, not wanting to look back.

They walked aimlessly for what seemed to be half an hour until Marissa randomly cried out for them to stop, pointing at an unfamiliar location. Startled, Angela turned to see what it was, a gulp forming in her throat as she realised what the other woman wanted to show her.

It was the local graveyard, and it was as horrible as she had expected it to be. The environment was as dead as its denizens, its grass dry, its flowers wilted, its gates creaking, its trees gnarled and inhabited mostly by ravens, which were not ordinary ravens, but instead ones that watched everything intensely with their glassy orbs, still as statues, not making a sound, the winds of cold looming over their heads like the shadow of Death itself. Angela didn't like it one bit.

"There," Marissa said darkly, pointing at the grave that was right in front of her. "This is what I wanted to show you. Come over here."

Angela did so with a solemn nod. She studied the gravestone carefully and with great intensity, nerves overcoming her body as she wondered what it could possibly be, startled by what was written on it:

Olivera Jenkins-Vaughan

1966-2001

Wife of Roger Jenkins and mother of Marissa Jenkins, who both mourn her deeply. She's also missed by her many relatives and friends. Cause of death unknown. May she rest in peace.

Angela's eyes watered, especially as she saw the picture that had been placed between her lived years and the obituary. It was the face of a lovely blonde woman with big brown eyes who was smiling brightly at the horizon in the middle of a sunny day. She seemed so wonderful, so kind, so innocent, like the human equivalent of a sunflower. Any harm that had been done to her could have only come from a true evil. And she was Marissa's mother, too... At a moment's glance, she saw that Marissa had burst into a waterfall of tears, and she rushed to embrace her.