Darkest Desires → Caliban [CAOS]

xiv. weeping willow

WEEPING WILLOW
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When Dahlia, Caliban and Sabrina returned to the cabin, there was already a strained feeling in the atmosphere. Dahlia could feel deep down, in her churning gut and overactive mind, that something was wrong. The soft panting coming through the door of the cabin proved her case further, making her heart pound as she, Caliban and Sabrina looked at each other through narrow eyes.

As Sabrina slid the wooden door open, she and Dahlia gasped at the sight before them. Harvey, with teary eyes and shaking hands, was seated on the floor, breathing heavily with pieces of his love in his hands. It broke Dahlia's heart, seeing someone so broken on their knees at the sight of their loved one shattered into pieces of stone on the floor. Dahlia could see clearly, however, that much as Harvey evidently cared about Rosalind, he didn't love her. She wasn't his deepest or darkest desire... Dahlia could see it deep behind his eyes and within his soul. She eyed Sabrina but remained quiet.

The blonde rushed toward Harvey. "Oh, no. Oh, Harvey!"

"Roz broke," Harvey choked out, staring between the pieces of stone in his hands and Sabrina. "I don't know what happened! I left for fifteen minutes and came back, and she was... like this."

"The Pagans," Dahlia whispered to herself quietly, her breath hitching in her throat at the thought. If they did all of this, what were they going to do next? The Pagans were capable of doing anything and the mere thought mortified Dahlia.

Caliban glanced to his left, looking down at Dahlia and taking in her anxious demeanour and the way she roughly bit her lip. "What's the matter?" he asked, concerned, but the confused frown on his face deepened when Dahlia only glared at him before looking away. "Have I done something wro-" he was interrupted by Sabrina and Harvey's desperate calls for help.

"Caliban, does this mean she's..." Sabrina trailed, unable to finish her sentence as her eyes began to brim with tears at the thought.

"Dead? No. She needs to be put back together, that's all," Caliban confirmed and Sabrina let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"She's in all these pieces," Harvey's voice cracked as he looked up at everyone hopelessly through glossy eyes.

"Well, gather them and arrange them into her shape. Make sure none of her bits are missing. There's a special epoxy we'll need. I'll prepare it and be right back." Caliban turned back to Dahlia, holding out his hand for her to take. "Will you come?"

"I doubt I have a choice," Dahlia muttered, barely making eye contact with the man. Her heart was beating fast and hard like bullets were plunging into it, boring painful holes into every inch of it as pieces of Caliban's and Sabrina's conversation replayed in her head– the mentions of marriage... the way Caliban looked at Sabrina and spoke to her. Dahlia couldn't look him in the eyes without pure rage rising in her chest or dull sadness filling her eyes like oceans. All she wanted was to be alone, and away from him before her mind could darken further and fill with even harsher and morbid thoughts.