A Vision of Crows

Chapter 12 - The Dream of An Ordinary Woman

Astra O'Keefe was an ordinary Magi woman who liked to keep herself pristine and orderly. She was a middle-aged woman, with decent looks, her black hair pulled in a neat hairdo, her dark eyes observant as ever, and lines on her face that brought out a sweet, motherly demeanor.

Like most women her age, Astra had married a man she loved dearly, and with him, had 3 beautiful, perfect children. Her husband had a stable job to support their family, and like most Magi, kept their abilities hidden under the radar. Don't ask, don't tell, and don't attract attention to yourself.

Yes, Astra O'Keefe was an ordinary woman. She was content, and nothing could take that happiness away from her.

Or so she wanted to believe.

Beneath a peaceful surface, there was darkness and tension slowing building up within her, ready to burst at any moment. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, to keep it bottled within, those ugly feelings threatened to spill out, like polluted water breaking through a cracked dam.

Yes, Astra O'Keefe was a dam, one that slowly but surely was deteriorating.

After Margaret had left for Mardas, the Hymains too had left as quickly as possible. As she stuffed a dress into a box, she recalled talking to Philippa Hymain before they had left. Philippa had been packing the last of their bags into a truck.

She had spotted Astra, and waved her over. As Astra walked over, she grabbed the other woman's arm to pull her towards her.

"Astra!" she had exclaimed happily, but upon looking at the truck, her expression turned bittersweet. "I'm so glad you came to say goodbye."

"Philippa, I- I'm so sorry about everything..."

Philippa shook her head, "No, no, no, don't apologize. Nobody could have predicted something like this. We should have known this was bound to happen, sooner or later. For people like us, this tranquil happiness cannot last forever."

Astra looked into her eyes and replied, "No, this could have been prevented. If only that bastard hadn't-!"

"Astra," Philippa sighed, "What is done is done. Now, we must do our best to protect our families."

Tears welled up in Philippa's eyes, "Alice, she'd going to turn herself in, to buy time for us. Alice, my darling child, I, I, I..."

She took a deep breath in order to briefly calm herself, then stared at Astra, her piercing gaze penetrating her, "I can't lose anyone else. My daughter, I doubt I'll ever see her again, but do you know what she told me? She said, 'Ma, if it's for the family, then I don't have any regrets. I too, want you to do the best for the others.' And that's what I'll do. George and Steve, I still have stem, and I'll protect them with everything I have."

Astra pursed her lips, then after a moment of silence, she embraced her friend. "Thank you," she wept. "I'll never forget you."

Later that day, when Lora arrived, the Hymains had long since left, their once lively and bustling house now quiet and empty.

A silent rage burned within her, anger towards the man who had destroyed her happy dream. The name rang in her mind, like an alarm that couldn't be turned off, Remus Cole, Remus Cole, REMUS COLE. Who else could be blamed?

Now she sat in the back of the car, Liza's head on her shoulder, and Will's on her lap. Their presence along with Damon's soft humming controlled the raging inferno within her. Even if it was just an illusion, she desperately wanted to go back to that happiness that she was only able to yearn for so many years ago.

She wanted to steal the happiness away from that murderer just to let him feel for once in his sheltered life, just for a bit, that very pain he made her return to.

She would personally send him to Hell.