Criminal Infatuation

Ⓕuneral

 Alex stood off to the side, a black suit stuck onto his body as he watched the breeze take up the trees that surrounded them to their left. Henrietta and Ysabel stood right next to him, each wearing a black dress or dress pants, their hands entwined together, eyes focused on a crowd of others wearing something similar to them all.

After Henrietta had shot Alevins, the police had showed up. Vincent had called them, also coming to help pick up the pieces of the shooting and offer any assistance he could. Everything had occurred in a few short minutes, and Alex was still shaken, barely uttering a word to anyone besides his family members and Vincent.

"Alex?" Henrietta whispered, having torn her focus from the seated crowd back towards her brother. "Are you sure you're okay to be here right now?"

Alex nodded, crossing his arms. "Yeah. I'm just melancholy is all, Mel."

Henrietta didn't believe him, and Alex could tell, but neither one wished to continue the conversation topic, instead watching the procession as a priest stood near a newly erected tombstone, the marble and gold entwining into a swirled name, gone too fast. The swirls curled into Allison's full name, lining her birth date and death date directly underneath the lines. Alex swallowed the emotion that was daring to overtake him ay any moment, and forced himself to listen, owing it to the woman they couldn't save.

The priest raised his hands, nodding to a few others around him before he flipped open a small pocketbook.

"For someone so young, Allison hath but a short time to live, and live she did. She cometh up, and is taken down, like a flower; she fleeth as if it were a shadow, and passes to Heaven above. In the midst of life we are in death, yet we are in the light of love and the Lord. Oh holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death, yet the light of thy blessed love. Spare Allison, Lord most holy, and bring her into a Heaven full of kindness, mercy, and love," the priest spoke without hesitation, having uttered these words often enough this week, Alex was sure of it.

The coffin that was sitting near a large hole was bandaged with large ivory bows and flowers, the sleek black wood absorbing the sun's light. Clouds that were once hanging over seemed to move while the priest spoke, and some of the seated patrons, including a few officers standing just on the other side, watched the light touch the area where Allison's body lay, the tombstone lit up as well.

"For as much as it hath pleased the Almighty lord of his great mercy to take unto himself the beautiful soul of our dear sister here departed. We therefore commit her young body to the ground."

A few of the attendants near the priest lowered the casket and Allison's mother's cry broke through the crowd. Ysabel buried her bruised face into Henrietta's neck, the older woman wrapping her arms around and gently stroking her wife's back. Alex averted his eyesight from the coffin, his facade cracking as a tear slid down his cheek.

We couldn't save Allison. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry we didn't get to Isaiah first, for both you and Marissa. If we had been here sooner, or. . .if we had stopped Christian sooner. . .

"Earth to earth. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. In sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Almighty; who shall change out physical body, that it may be like unto the glory of himself, whereby he is able to subdue all things to ourselves. Lord, have mercy upon Allison's immortal soul and giveth to her family a peace that she is home."

Alex compelled his focus back onto the scene, finishing the burial as the priest bowed in a silent prayer. A few people followed the priest in the prayer, but Allison's mother was already bent, still crying. Others around her, Alex guessed Allison's brother and Dad, were attempting to pray and comfort the mother at the same time.