Through the Veil

Chapter Seven

Jynx fell to the floor before she could reach the doorknob to leave the room. Tears began to burn her eyes as she felt the icy claws of fear squeezing the air from her chest.

"Jynx..."

The sound of that all too familiar voice made Jynx freeze in her tracks. No... no no no, it's not possible...

"I don't know why I'm surprised you're here. You always were a demonic little slut."

Jynx swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, her entire body shaking and in pain as she tried to push herself to her feet. Her shoulder was throbbing as it hung from its socket and blood oozed from the claw marks on her ribs. She turned to see the rotted corpse of her mother, eyes milky as she stared Jynx down, unadulterated hatred contorting what was left of her face into an ugly scowl. Jynx fought to hide her terror, body trembling as she thrust out her chin in a show of defiance. "I don't care what you say about me anymore, Patricia... you're dead." Patricia chuckled and walked towards her, a near empty bottle of gin in her hand. "My body may be rotting in the ground but I'm still in here..." She jabbed a dirty fingernail into Jynx's forehead, puncturing the skin and making Jynx tense and wince. She felt frozen, unable to make her body move even though everything in her wanted to escape. Run you stupid cunt! Get as far from that evil bitch as possible! Why are you just standing there?!

Jynx's gaze swept over her mother's corpse, swallowing back the urge to vomit as she noted the massive char marks and lacerations that flayed the rotting flesh from her mother's bones. The stench of booze and decay nearly choked her as she took a shaky step backwards, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her with every step. She squeezed her eyes shut as the cold, cutting sound of her mother's mocking laughter pierced her brain quickly shifting from terror to rage. "Even dead you couldn't resist getting hammered, could you?" Patricia grinned, her yellowed teeth poking out from black gums making Jynx gag at the sight. "Why should I? I'm dead, why bother being sober again—

"You were never sober!"

The fetid corpse blinked hard in drunken shock, Jynx feeling a surge of adrenaline fueled power she stepped towards her shoved Patricia backwards a few steps. "Having a drink instead of a bottle doesn't make you sober, Patricia!"

"You drove me to it!"

"You are the one that couldn't handle life without funneling booze down your throat. That's on you, not on me..." Patricia glared daggers at her, the hatred she felt for Jynx palpable as she shook the near empty bottle at her. "You were a little monster. Selfish and filthy... how could I not drink having to put up with you?!"

"How the fuck was I 'selfish and filthy'?! All I ever did was try to please you!"

Patricia sneered, her cruel venomous expression piercing through Jynx's temporary bravado. "I always knew what you were... a curse..."

"Wha—

"You were a jinx on my life sent by the devil... and I knew that you'd end up being a rotten little whore..." Jynx snorted a humorless chuckle, motioning to her mother's disgusting form, "You mean like you?" Patricia growled at her like a rabid dog, black fetid drool leaking out the corner of her mouth, "I wasn't the whore, your worthless fucking father was... I should've known when I saw that ugly ass red hair of yours that you'd end up just like him."

Grinding her teeth in attempt to not cry, Jynx clenched her shaking fists and sneered. "Your husband left you because you were a mean ass drunk! And even if he is a whore, I'd much rather be like him than end up a miserable... poisonous... worthless drunk like you."