Divine Ascension (Wattys 2024)

Chapter 8 - The Confrontation

The following day, the sun shone beautifully as ever. It was quite dreadful to see. And all those blooming flowers and singing birds, too. How annoying. Melinda grumbled under her breath as she woke up, reminded of her wretched existence without a soul, tossing and turning in her bed as she tried to go back to sleep, wishing to remain there forever. But she couldn't. In fact, she couldn't sleep at all. 

Instead, she ventured outside, heading towards the courtyard. She made sure to take care of her personal hygiene and put on her best white dress beforehand, not wanting to drink coffee or eat breakfast for some reason. She was still drowsy and disappointed by everything, but at least she didn't have to do much that day. It would all be done some other day. Besides, a feeling of fatefulness loomed over her head, like something really important was going to happen any time soon.

"Melinda!" Maria shouted urgently as she ran towards her with worry written all over her face. "You have to come with me now!"

She smiled brightly, trying her best not to show her disgust. Her old friend knew very well when she woke up, and thus she decided to bother her as soon as possible, but the image of her betrayal would never go away, not even in the deepest sleep. What did she want? Maria seemed to deem it important, but Melinda was sure it couldn't be that serious, not until Maria explained herself at last.

"Olivia Piers is dying," said Maria, her voice wavering. "She invited both of us for a farewell. Quick! She could pass away at any minute!"

"Why didn't she invite us earlier then?" Melinda asked, her tone of voice a mixture of anger and fear.

"She doesn't know when she might die," Maria responded, taking her hand. "Now quick! She's expecting us any minute."

Her heart a broth of hellish emotions, Melinda followed Maria along, having no time to make sense of anything. Everything had been happening so fast recently. Her whole life was changing, and now Olivia was dying too. It harrowed the very core of her being. She may have been the woman who tore her away from her family and everything she had ever known, but there was no other choice.

Besides, it had always been clear that she loved Melinda like a mother would, so Melinda returned that love. It was a bit complicated at times, but this was no occasion on which to think about such things. Melinda slowly followed Maria on her way into Olivia's house, soon seeing a sight that truly shattered her sou- Broke her heart. She'd get used to it soon.

The house was a small and lovely one, like a cottage, except that it was less dilapidated and more modest. It had humble brick walls with tons of framed sepia pictures which displayed the faces of lost loved ones and friends, a tiny and simple flower garden surrounded with a white picket fence and a plain old cobblestone path. 

The bedroom itself was full of wooden furniture and white lace designs and just a lot of brown and white in general - even the carpet had those colours - making it feel very old and reserved. Its owner lay in a basic white bed, her decaying body sticking out like a sore thumb. She looked like a ghost amidst those bedsheets, which Melinda struggled to make peace with.

"Hello," the old woman said, snapping her out of her trance, her voice hoarse from the cold. "I am glad to have you here by my side. I can already feel my life slipping away. At least you're here. Come, hold my hand."

Melinda held Olivia's hand tight with a tear in her eye, surprised how she had any more of them because she had cried so much lately, happy to feel the warm touch of the old woman's wrinkled yet still gentle hand. This caused Maria to scowl to herself and sulk in her corner.

"Maria, dear," Olivia said with a tint of sorrow in her voice. "Why are you frowning? Come here. You too can hold my hand, you know?"

"Don't you see that she's lying to you?" Maria snapped. "I saw her smile with a tear in her eye as she held your hand. It's an act! She has no empathy. She's a monster! That's why she killed her husband in cold blood and-"