The Dark Of Our Worlds

A Not So Happy Reunion

Arriving back on Cairnholm felt something like a fever dream to Lorelai. She wandered up through the village, the eyes of villagers locked on her as they muttered to each other in Welsh so quickly that Lorelai, despite spending decades on the island, couldn't understand them. Eventually she left the village and began her path up towards the cliff face, where the loop entrance was hidden. She spent longer than she'd care to admit searching for it. When she finally found it, she ducked inside and, forgetting how low some parts of the ceiling got, bashed her head against a bit of rock. After muttering several swear words, she exited the cave and emerged on that sunny afternoon in 1943.  

The walk up to the house was more treacherous than she remembered it being, possibly because she hadn't walked up a hill in roughly forty years. When the house finally came into view, she froze. What the hell was she doing? They wouldn't want to see her. She swallowed her doubts and made her way up the garden path, hesitating for a moment before knocking on the door. 

***

Alma slammed the door shut the moment she saw who was standing there. She pressed her back to the partition, staring down the hall as her breath quickened. This was a hallucination. She was officially going mad. She turned and looked through the peephole, and there Lorelai stood, staring at the door with an expression of 'what else did I expect' on her face. A few moments passed like that - Alma stood there, heart and head racing alike. 

Eventually, she opened the door and stared at the siren. Her hair was longer and ragged, her face had hollowed and her eyes appeared a darker shade of blue than they had been the last time she had seen her. Lorelai opened her mouth to speak.

Alma slapped her across the face. 

Lorelai froze, then spat out some blood onto the grass. "Okay, maybe I deserve that" 

"Maybe?" Alma exclaimed "Maybe?! You disappear for decades then just randomly show up and maybe I have the right to be mad at you?!" 

Lorelai opened her mouth so respond, but Alma cut her off "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you deficient in the head? Why the hell would you do that?" She pushed a finger into Lorelai's chest, pushing her backwards. Lorelai took a few steps down, feet landing on the gravel path. Alma followed her "Y'know maybe you do have a reason, but then again, you didn't give me a reason, so why should I hear you out? You left me! You left us! And you just expect us to welcome you back?!" Her finger had turned into a fist, planting itself over and over again into Lorelai's chest. 

Lorelai had never seen Alma like this before, her anger was actually slightly terrifying. 

"I mourned you, you ass! You know how many times I had to try and explain to the children why you left when I didn't even know myself?! I don't! I lost count! And then you just show up like nothings wrong!"

Tears were welling in the Ymbrynes eyes. A part of Lorelai desperately wanted to reach out and hold her. Another part realised she would probably be murdered if she did so. 

Words appeared to fail Alma, instead, she just kept on pounding her fists against the sirens chest until eventually that failed her too. Tears were rolling down her face and she felt she might collapse. With a shuddering breath, and a feeling of overwhelming shame, she rested her forehead against Lorelai's shoulder and sobbed into her shirt. 

Lorelai, taken aback slightly by this, placed a tentative hand on the Ymbrynes back and, when she wasn't clawed to death, embraced her fully. 

"I hate you" Alma sobbed "I fucking hate you"

"I know" 

A/N - Can you tell I'm a sucker for angst?