Death's Hold

Chapter Twenty

He was gone before Zara had time to register his words, leaving a blast of wind in her face.

Zara tugged off her beanie and brushed her straggly hair away from her face. "I must look a sight." The forced smile on her face wavered and then dropped as everything took on a blurry shape. She couldn't bring herself to look at Lethe.

"Sorry about all the trouble Lethe but do you suppose I could have a wash? I smell so bad."

"Of course love."

"I don't usually smell. It's just that-"

"I know love. I know."

Lethe's voice was soft and cajoling as though she was talking to a deranged person. A person is on the edge of losing it. It irked Zara to no end.

Zara allowed herself to look Lethe in the eyes. "Stop that."

Leth raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"That! Stop pitying me. I don't need your pity! I don't need anybody's pity. I just need my mum."

Lethe stared at her.

Then she reached out a hand.

"It'll be okay Zara, I promise."

Zara looked at the outstretched palm and then up at Lethe's honest, open face.

"Death promised too," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Lethe said nothing but walked closer with her hand still outstretched. Zara stared at it for some seconds before grabbing it. It seemed to take forever for her body to receive the command from her brain. All her movements were slowed and she was sure if she put her hand over her chest, each heartbeat would have a three-second interval in between.

Lethe pulled her back to the pool of water before pushing her gently unto her bum, sitting down next to her immediately. Zara watched as she dipped a delicate finger into the water and it began to glow a reddish blue. The red in Lethe's eyes, skin, and hair were glowing too and she was crying again. Blood-red tears that ran down unchecked. Zara shuddered and looked away. She felt like she was intruding with her presence alone. Though she didn't understand, the pain present in Lethe's eyes looked terribly private. Zara knew she had no right at all to witness it.

"You never let up do you Rui?" The whispered question was met with silence before Lethe sighed and turned to Zara.

"I have no idea what you've been through love and to be honest I don't want to. I shall only forget it by tomorrow. Forget it and forget you. I'm Lethe. I forget. I make others forget. It is the reason for my existence, my entire being. Ignorance is bliss and that's what I give."

The water had stopped glowing and settled on a shimmering pale blue. Zara stared at it as Lethe talked. Stared at her reflection and wondered why her face didn't look more surprised at Lethe's words. Wondered why it looked so indifferent as though nothing could ever faze her anymore. As though she wasn't capable of feeling anymore. As though she was dead.

Zara's face was suddenly yanked upwards. She let out a gasp when she saw Lethe barely an inch away from her, multi-coloured irises burning into her face with an intensity that left her speechless. Lethe's hands cupped her jaws, her entire face in a determined frown.

"I shall forget your entire existence but I don't think that matters in the slightest because I don't believe we need to know someone to help them. Seeing them in pain even for the briefest moment in time is enough to make us try to help. Zara, you are in pain. You are in so much pain it scares me. Maybe because I have none other to compare to except myself and Death as I have forgotten them all but your pain scares me because you are still human and we are not. Your pain screams all hope is lost. That is scary."

Lethe slowly let go of Zara's face and sat back down. She stared into the blue water. "It's annoying keeping it all in, isn't it? It's not as if you want to but you can't bring yourself to believe that anyone cares. So you keep quiet and feel the weight of your chest getting heavier with each day till it's like you can't breathe." Lethe laughed before turning back to Zara, eyes glinting with crimson tears.

"You've been keeping it in for a long time haven't you Zara? I can tell. Your eyes. They're like Rui's."

Zara blinked and shook her head. "I don't- Lethe I don't think I understand what you're - HEY!'

Lethe was upon her again, hands on Death's jacket and dragging it up and over Zara's head before she could say another word. Head whirling, she looked down at herself.

Lethe's face was pinched. "You do smell horrible. Like what you humans bring out of your body when you drink lots of water. I can't remember the name though."

Zara could have screamed. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Lethe giggled and covered her eyes. "It's fine! Take off the rest of your clothes. Your boots too. I want you to bathe in the pool. Feel clean on the outside even if your inside feels contaminated and vile."

Zara stared blankly at Lethe, images of past scenarios flashing through her mind like a movie. Images of her mother helping her up from the floor even more bruised and bloody than Zara was because her mother always took the worst of the hits when she could. Even when Matthew would have been more than content laying it out on just Zara, she threw herself between them. Shielded Zara's body with hers as she screamed insults and hit at him. Anything to take the man's devil eyes off her child. Anything to turn him on her instead so Zara could run.

After Matthew was sated and had left them both alone, her mother would always pick herself up first and waddle over to Zara, shaking her a bit before helping her sit up.

"Leave me alone please mummy." Zara would always say, tears and sweat mixing with the blood on her face and snot dripping into her mouth. She hadn't wanted to look at her mother. To see her in an even worse state than she was. To feel the hopelessness of their situation hit them in full force. She didn't know what she'd do if she allowed their reality to seep into her consciousness. Probably scream until she passed out.

"Come on now sweetie." Zara's mum always made her voice forcefully light almost as though the whole thing was a game. A game they kept failing to defeat the boss character over and over and over again and thus had to lick and nurse their bleeding wounds in the shower.

Zara had never been quite able to look her mother in the eyes as she forced herself on shaky legs to be the stronger person. As she practically carried Zara into the shower and forced her to clean up, doing it for her when Zara stayed as still as a statue, silent tears running down her cheeks. She never knew if her mother was crying too. She had never allowed herself to look.

Zara didn't look at Lethe now either. She bent her head and tugged at the laces of her boots.

"Lethe." Her voice was a hoarse whisper. "Thank you."
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Double update to make up for not posting for three weeks hehe
like + comment please ❤️