The Bright Colours of Misery [COMPLETED]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴 -there were colours-

Silence had never been so loud, never have I felt its painful presence more than on the morning where Trudy Seide was pulled outside by the young Alexander Fischer, only to find her two daughters, standing over the body of her dead husband. Her feet barely made a sound on the icy ground. I still wonder if she even breathed as she slowly got onto her knees. She hesitated to take his hand, because once she would, once that hand would touch his cold grey skin, she would know just how real this was. Eventually, Frieda grasped Heidi's hand just as Trudy's closed upon Alfred's purple spotted hand.

"Go, girls, please go, I don't want you to see" She whispered, as tears trickled down her pale face, despite her best efforts to keep them in.

"Mama-" Frieda attempted, taking a step closer, but Trudy stopped her.

"Please go." She pleaded. The two sister's slowly turned to look at one another. Their teary eyes lingered on each other, as they didn't know where to look, where to go, or what to do.

I whispered something In heidi's ear and she finally uttered a few words to Frieda.

"We should get Manfred and Gisela."

Frieda nodded hurriedly, as if her body was begging to leave and go as far away as possible from all this. Heidi's feet felt heavy on the concrete, as if she was freezing into the ground, and would remain a statue on the side of ApfelStraße forever. Her younger siblings were both in the kitchen, Alexander had gotten them inside, bless him.

They both looked rather inquisitive as they saw Frieda and Heidi walk through the door. I remember Heidi thinking—wondering whether or not she should just tell them now and get it over with, but her mouth could not articulate any words, not a single one. Everytime she tried, she felt tears well in her eyes. Tears of confusion perhaps? No. They were true tears of sorrow, despite the fact she didn't want to be sad about Alfred's passing after what he'd done to her mother, she still was. He had been the one to teach her how to play with marbles after all and his hugs were firm and strong, and his jovial laughter had been a part of her dinners ever since she could remember, until only recently. She couldn't believe his body was frozen out there, it was unfathomable, and on top of all of this, she had the responsibility of telling her siblings? Where was Walter and Wilma when you truly needed them?

She knew the answer of course, and felt guilty immediately after the thought crossed her mind.
"What is it?" Gisela finally asked, her eyes wandering from Frieda and Heidi, to Alexander and then back to Frieda and Heidi. I swear, you could hear the rats in the walls, the flies on the walls and the shallow breaths of poor Frieda. Heidi looked over at her best friend, gesturing for him to say something because she physically could not and just as he was about to articulate those three simple yet horrifying words, the door opened with a swift and firm movement. Helga Fischer walked in quickly, bringing with her an unimaginable comfort.

"Oh dears," She whispered softly, quickly taking her scarf off, only to go hug Frieda and Heidi. Frieda cried into the woman's shirt. Heidi tried to ignore the fact she couldn't stop shaking. She wanted to pretend nothing had happened, although that was and always is impossible in this kind of situation. Alexander wrapped his around Heidi, enveloping the two girls, adding onto the comforting embrace. Gisela and Manfred joined the hug eventually out of sheer concern for their sisters, they had no clue about what was currently happening, or going through Heidi and Frieda's minds.

"Where's mama?" I heard Frieda ask between her heavy breaths. Helga shook her head and tightened her embrace.

"She's with the doctors, dear."

"The doctors? What doctors-" Her voice suddenly seemed demanding, it carried a sense of urgency and confusion that truly crushed me. She wanted answers, she wanted certainty, which she could not get.