Whispers at Witching Hour

Chapter 112

TW!

Part 1 I Musical inspirations: Don't Cry – Guns N' Roses (Alternate Lyrics)

Dragging her feet, Lilith shuffled into the kitchen, her hair still a mess as she had needed her last nerve to wash, brush her teeth and put on some clothes. She made it to the fridge, flung it open and grabbed a bottle of orange juice, drinking it without bothering to fill it in a glass first.

Hilda was sitting at the set breakfast table, alone, hands folded, watching her quietly. Then she turned away, looking at the untouched plate in front of her. Usually, she would not have been able to resist the pancakes for a minute.

Lilith joined her, letting herself slump into the chair across the corner, her head falling to the side, eyes closing. A long exhale followed, holding the bottle of orange juice in her lap. They sat like this for a while, felt like hours.

"Is she still down there?", Hilda asked tentatively.

Lilith nodded, curling her lips. "Slept alone again. I'll go see if she's up."

She used the table to push herself up, out of the chair.

"Take some food with you, will you?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow, "To the embalming room?"

Hilda shrugged helplessly, unable to think of another solution. She just pushed her own plate in Lilith's direction, urging her to pick it up.

She took it and made her way down the narrow spiral staircase, having grabbed a glass of water on her way. When she entered, she sighed and put the dishes on a table, looking at Zelda over her shoulder.

The redhead was sitting on a stool next to her niece's corpse, but her upper body had fallen over. Sabrina's hand in hers, her head resting on a bent arm on the operating table next to the corpse, asleep. Zelda had refused to leave Sabrina's side ever since they had brought the body home, not even for sleeping, let alone eating.

Before she approached, Lilith took a moment to look at Sabrina herself, folding her hands in front of her middle, pursing her lips. Even after almost a week, it did not feel real. How could they have lost another child? If she did not look too closely, Sabrina could just have been sleeping. She looked peaceful; pale, sick and cold, but peaceful.

She grabbed the glass of water at least and tended to Zelda, stroking her hair a few times to wake her up, strands of auburn slipping through her fingers, getting caught every now and then due to the lack of brushing.

"Honey?", she tried.

"You know I hate it when you call me that", Zelda growled, obviously awake but not moving.

Lilith pushed her hair aside to reveal her face buried in the crook of her arm, ignoring the remark.

"The funeral starts at 11. You should really get something in your stomach and put on some fresh clothes. There's nothing more you can do here."

Zelda lifted her head, but not her gaze, watching her thumb caress the back of Sabrina's hand.

"Not hungry."

Lilith exhaled frustratedly, putting her hands on Zelda's shoulder, creating circular patterns with her thumbs.

"Zelds, you haven't eaten in days. Think of the baby."

Minutes passed without a response and Lilith gave up, letting go of Zelda and walking over to retrieve the glass of water, nearly holding it in her fiancé's face.