The Ghost of Bonesborough Garden Club

"For the last time, get out!"

An abomination fist slammed into the door of Amity's bedroom, nearly taking off their heads as they ducked out of the way.

"Amity!" Emira called through the now closed door. "We're just trying to help!"

"I don't need your help! I just need you to leave me alone!"

Edric grimaced. "She's not taking it well, is she?"

Emira rolled her eyes and leaned against the door. "No shit, Ed." Edric pushed her on the shoulder and Emira shoved him back, harder. She watched as he stumbled and threw out his arms to regain his balance. "Not being able to get in touch with Luz is one thing, but missing out on palisman adoption day?" She let out a dry laugh. "I'd be pissed too."

"Yeah," Edric agreed. "We were lucky to get ours before the stock ran dry." His palisman, Astus, was dangling off his arm by the tail. He lifted the monkey onto his shoulder and patted its head.

Emira whistled and called forth her palisman, Badb. The ink-crow flew down from the chandelier it'd been perched on and landed on her shoulder. She stroked its head with one finger, thinking. "She opened up to us about what happened with Luz, so why isn't she now?" Her brow furrowed. "I'm worried about her. It feels like she's shutting us out again."

Edric nodded. "Yep. And last time she got mad at us it didn't go very well."

"Understatement of the century," Emira deadpanned. "You almost killed Amity and Luz by reanimating Otabin."

"Hey! The diary prank was your idea!"

"Well you went along with it just fine-" Emira cut herself off. "Wait. We are not rehashing this right now. What matters is we fucked up, she got hurt, and we're not doing that kind of stuff anymore. Right?"

"Right." Edric sighed and glanced at the door. "There has to be something we can do for her."

Emira opened her mouth to respond but her voice died out when she heard a familiar, grating voice drift up the staircase.

"Why hello Demeter! How absolutely lovely it is to hear from you," Odalia's voice dripped with disdain. "How long has it been? Two years? Wow, time sure flies when you're climbing to the top of Bonesborough business rankings!"

"Didn't we drop off the rankings entirely?" Edric whispered to Emira, both creeping down the stairs to better eavesdrop on their mother.

"We did," Emira snickered. "Mom lost her shit and chucked her favorite porcelain vase into the wall."

Emira may have recalled the incident as just another one of their mother's temper tantrums, but for Edric the memory brought something else entirely to mind. He remembered leaving Emira practicing on the piano to see what had caused the noise downstairs. He watched from the doorway as Odalia ordered Amity to pick up the broken pieces. Left alone to clean up, Amity cut herself on the knife-sharp edges, not stopping until her task was done.

Edric had felt compelled to step-in but something wound tight around his throat held him back. He knew how well his mother reacted to him acting out of turn and his fear of her had outweighed his desire to help his sister.

Shaking himself free of the memory, Edric swallowed the lump in his throat. He was done being afraid. Going forward, he was going to make it up to Amity, no matter what.

As they reached the bottom of the stairwell, Emira placed a finger to lips and nodded towards Odalia. Their mother was seated in one of the padded chairs of the living room, hot tea in one hand and a crow-phone to her ear in the other.