Let It Slip

Part 1

Zelda Spellman sat on the porch of the Spellman Mortuary where she had spent the better part of the last century. Staring out at the cemetery that held her child in its grasp, an endless glass of bourbon and her cigarette took turns against her lips. Deep lines around her mouth betrayed just how much she had smoked and the sway in her step spoke of how reliant she was on the alcohol to get her from moment to moment, day to day. Her once bright and determined gaze was dulled by excess and emotion, it stared unseeing towards the graves as if she felt that should she look away, she would miss the moment where Sabrina came back to life.

The years had not been kind to the former High Priestess of the Order of Hecate. After Sabrina's death, Zelda enfolded herself in her grief and rage; she pushed everyone away and isolated herself. Unable to shake his Auntie out of the darkness, Ambrose had stepped into her place as Director of the Academy of Unseen Arts and Prudence had taken over as High Priestess. Hilda and Dr. Cerberus had moved back into the Mortuary and Hilda's insistence that Zelda consume something other than nicotine and alcohol was likely the only reason she was still alive. But she was viciously cruel to her sister and eventually Hilda had enough, opting to deliver meals to Zelda's door and avoid her completely.

Every day for one hundred years, Zelda sat in the same chair on her porch and drank until she could barely stumble up to her bedroom where she'd eat Hilda's offering, even though it had gone cold, and fall asleep. On good days she would drag her weary bones down the front steps and crumple in a heap between Sabrinas' graves and weep. If she was feeling particularly energetic, she would beg for forgiveness until her throat grew hoarse. On her worst days, Zelda woke up in the middle of the night covered in sweat after reliving the moment where Sabrina bled out.

"It was my hand that slid that dagger across your chest, Sabrina." The witch muttered through gritted teeth, her fingers aching from gripping the heavy crystal tumbler. "I opened you up and watched you fade away....and for what?! To save a dozen people who meant nothing to me?!" Her voice raised as she yelled at a ghost.

The anger she felt at herself boiled like Hellfire in her heart, "How could I have been so lenient with you. You were a CHILD! It should never have been your decision and I should never have allowed it. SATAN'S SAKE!" As she cursed the long gone fallen angel, Zelda hurled her glass over the porch railing and watched it shatter on the ground below.

Feeling the flames extinguish as quickly as they'd ignited, Zelda's hand dropped into her lap and she heard the shake of dice. Her fingers wrapped around the blue box given to her by Mambo Marie as a balm meant to soothe the gaping wound she'd left at the realization she was a male deity parading around as a Voodoo Priestess. After all this time, it still stung to think that the last person she'd allowed into her heart had deceived her so easily. She'd almost forgiven Mambo Marie for the betrayal but she could not forgive herself for allowing it to happen. She'd allowed love to blind and distract her and in doing so, had not been paying close enough attention to her family - to Sabrina.

"It always comes back to you, my sweet girl." The tears bloomed easily and, too tired to fight them, Zelda gave in. The heaving wetness rolling hot down her cheeks, pooling at the corners of her mouth. Leaning back in the rocking chair, she closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of sorrow as it escaped from her, losing track of time.

The shuffling of feet startled her and she quickly wiped at her face, turning her red-rimmed eyes towards the sound, surprised at how dark it had become. Hilda froze at the sight of her sister and cleared her throat nervously; "Your dinner is ready, sister."

Zelda rolled her eyes and her voice cut through the fog like a saber, sharp and ruthless, "Do I look hungry to you?!"

Hilda shifted on her feet, her eyes darting to the glass on the front lawn, unsure if she should clear it or not, "You have to eat Zelds. Do you want help upstairs?"