Accepting her Soulmate - Slow Updates

Chapter 3 - Goodbyes

The sun was hiding behind a cloudy grey sky as it slowly set in the Western skyline. Julie was standing in front of the unlit funeral pyre, waiting for the alpha to finish giving the eulogy. She didn't hear or register any of the words of sympathy spoken by different pack members as they participated in the ceremony. Sarah stood beside her, a silent source of strength, Annie, her mother, stood to the other side of Julie, both of them trying to console her and help her get through one of the toughest days of her life.

It had been two days since Loretta's death and Julie had been in an almost catatonic state. She had hardly spoken two words to anyone other than Sarah, and she had barely eaten anything. Annie had tried to get her to eat some breakfast that morning but Julie had thrown up shortly after. Her eyes were vacant, dark circles under them, revealing her lack of sleep these past two days. Every time she tried to sleep, the thoughts that she was responsible for her mother's death seemed to attack her. Her own inner monologue telling her that she should have done things differently. Accusing her of not going to check on her mom when she got home. Then the moments where she would imagine what could have been if she had checked on her earlier. Playing through the scenarios in her mind, where she would get her mom to the hospital on time and everyone would have been okay.

The guilt was slowly killing her.

Finally, the alpha finished speaking and gestured to Julie to come up and light the fire. Sarah nudged Julie and pushed her to the front of the pyre. The alpha handed the lit torch to her and waited.
"We entrust these spirits to your care, O Queen." He said looking up to the moon in the twilight sky.
"We ask that you allow them to rest in your presence in your most splendid Palace, where they can guide and watch over us from above. As their bodiess are released, allow their souls to rise from the ashes."

At this, Julie threw the torch on to the funeral pyre, and watched as the flames slowly licked up the sides and consumed the bodies of her mother and baby brother. At this point, tears slowly start to trickle down her face, and a sob escaped her. The dam was opened and suddenly she was overcome with the emotions she had been suppressing for the past two days. She fell to her knees and began to wail, her body being wracked by the sorrow and grief that she was finally releasing. 

Sarah ran to her and wrapped her arms around her and held her best friend as she mourned. She stayed there with her until late into the evening, when there was nothing recognisable left, just the remains of the fire smouldering. She brought Julie back to her house, where she had been staying with them since the death. She helped her into bed, and Julie fell asleep almost immediately due to her lack of sleep previously.

Three days had passed since the funeral and Julie was ready to return to school. She had to return to her home to collect her bookbag and books. Walking through the front door, she was met with silence and the memories of her parents flooding her mind. So many memories, happy times, when her parents were still here, laughing and enjoying each others company. The house now echoed emptiness as she made her way around, picking up her bag and the books she needed. She also decided to get some clothes, so she began to make her way upstairs to her room. She paused at the top of the stairs, looking at the blood stains on the bed and in the carpet in her mother's room, and she was reminded once again of how she failed her mother. The bed had been stripped and most of the mess had been cleaned by Annie and some friends of Loretta's, who had helped organise the funeral and needed an outfit for Loretta to be laid out in.

Julie stepped inside her mother's room and was engulfed by her mother's scent. It was both soothing and soul destroying at the same time. Knowing that she would never again smell the scent that was uniquely her mother's. Roses with a hint of strawberry. She went to the laundry hamper and picked up a sweater that her mom had worn the day before she died. Her scent was still strong on it and Julie buried her nose into it and inhaled. She decided to take it with her, and made a mental note to get some of those vacuum space bags at the store, so she could pack away some of her things before they lose the scent. She went to her own room and picked up whatever clothes and other items she needed, like her laptop and phone charger and made her way back to Sarah's.