Incubus (American Horror AU 4)

Chapter 14

The funeral for Julie, Chase, Misty, and Eleonora was held outside near the greenhouse, as promised. The remaining council members and all thirty-one of the pupils at Miss Robicheaux's Academy were in attendance. Clara and Amy cried rivers from their eyes, and the rain fell heavily on their black, semi-formal garments as thunder clapped in the sky. Amy sobbed against her sister's puffy sleeve in response to the tragic deaths of her family members. Andrew looked over at Clara with his deep, majestically dark eyes and frowned, biting his lower lip as he stood next to his mother, Zoe, underneath her pitch black umbrella.

After a heartfelt eulogy given by Cordelia, the coffinless graves were given offerings—Cordelia had required each pupil and remaining member of the council to set aside four prized possessions to be buried with each of the dead in their graves. A single-file line was formed and led by the blind witch, who was followed by Zoe, then Kyle, followed by Queenie, Clara and then Amy; before Clara could put anything in the graves as tribute, she ran to the front of the line and tugged on Cordelia's gloved hand.

"Cordelia," she whispered tearfully. "I don't want to be in a line."

"Why not, my dear?" she asked, crouching slightly. "These are your family."

"I know," the little girl answered, her wet, dark hair clinging to her fair face. "I just want to save my gift for last."

"Oh, well alright."

The pupils and other council members tossed in their chosen prized possessions, which included foreign coins, trinkets, and jewelry. Someone had tossed in an old family pocket watch, while another tossed a rolled-up autographed poster of Stevie Nicks into Misty's open, rainy grave. In Julie's grave, a young pupil had given up lamb bones that were once used as a divination tool.

"You taught me how to use these, Miss Julie," the student said. "I haven't used them in so long. I feel they were appropriate to give to you. May you use them as you cross over to the Other Side."

Once the offerings were tossed into the graves, the graves were refilled by a number of select students who had volunteered to help bury the four deceased witches. Once the wet soil was patted flat, Clara walked over to the fresh burial spots with Amy's small hand in hers and sighed tearfully as the rain washed her tears down their faces. The dark-haired child reached into her pocket, and her blonde younger sister immediately noticed it was a needle.

"What are you doin'?" Amy exclaimed. "You're gonna hurt yourself!"

"I'm givin' the gift I promised," Clara said. "Watch."

Amy winced as she watched her sister prick her finger as she walked closer to the grave Julie had been buried in. Letting the blood drop on the ground, she concentrated to begin the accelerated sprouting of not a flower, not a shrub, but a full, mature pine tree. Amy looked in awe at what her sister had grown with her earthy powers, seeing its evergreen needles on its full branches.

"A pine tree," Clara said, "because Aunt Julie was a wintery witch. It reminds me of winter."

The next drop of blood went onto Chase's grave; suddenly, Clara concentrated enough to sprout a fully mature rowan tree.

"This tree is for our dad," the girl cried softly, "because ma taught us that this tree is connected with water. Dad loved water and had its power."

"I miss daddy," Amy sobbed.

"I do, too," Clara said with a cracked voice and a slight whine.

She walked over to Misty's grave, pricking her finger again and letting the blood drip onto the damp, moist soil wet from the rain. The accelerated growing of an elder tree began to manifest, its white berries glistening against the green leaves.