The next morning I was accompanied by that melancholic feeling that assists grief. The twins were placed into a huge fawn coloured wicker basket filled with lemon blankets that wrapped the pair in nicely. Last night, I didn't have the energy to see to them so Nakagura came and tucked them in, ensuring they lay so they wouldn't choke in their sleep. I could hear their breathing, it ever so gentle as I stared at the basket, dread lining the pit of my stomach for Lalia. Do I tell her the truth or what, do I make up some lie that her mothers went to the shops and she'll never return? Footsteps along the hollowed wood can be heard from the other side of the door. They pause at my door, hesitate, then knock. I tell them to come in to see Senhime at the door wearing a black dress, for mourning. "Hijikata dear, she's dressed. Come see her." Reluctantly, I get up to see my deceased love in her final attire for eternity.
Waiting outside her room were Heiskue, Saito, Nakagura and Okita. They all wore formal clothing compared to what they usually wore. "She's beautiful," smiled Senhime as she opened the door. The blood had all been long since clean, so much as it looks like a completely different scene to the day prior. The floor was spotless along with the bed in its pristine condition.
Chizuru. She truly was stunning. Senhime had her washed, cleaned and perfected to the point she looked like a royal queen. Although she was a few hours cold, her skin looked better than it did before. Her porcelain skin shone against the royal blue and navy dress she wore, detailed with silver lace and ribbon tightly around her now slightly shrunken waist. The top of the dress also had silver lace stitched, displaying the heart shaped neckline. Her heeled shoes shared the navy shade. A silver locket hung on her neck along with a beautiful pair of silver earrings along with her wedding ring gleaming. Her hair lay curled on her chest fashioned with a silver clip that held the front of her hair out of her face. Her beautiful face. Her lips were pale pink against her transparent skin tone, her eyelids holding a purplish hue, her cheeks sunken in greatly but still, she looked phenomenal, even in death.
"She looks asleep,so gorgeous," smiled Heisuke, his swollen eyes red raw from crying. "She is-was," I reply, stroking her cheek. Saito exited the room quickly, he looked on the verge of crying. "Too young," said Senhime gently as she wiped a tear escaping her tear ducts. "Hey, Chizuru wouldn't want us sopping about now would she?" Okitas statement caused me to chuckle, too right she wouldn't want us to be upset! "She'd probably tell us to wise up and go eat cake," added Nakagura. The emptiness of silence was now filled with a few laughs as we all imagine Chizuru giving off to us.
"Can I have a moment, please?" As I ask, they all nod and quietly exit the room. As the door clicks, I lay next to Chizuru, taking her cold hand into me, rubbing it gently to emit a bit of heat into it. "What happened to you never leaving me,eh? And Lalia, you said you'd be hers forever. What happened Chiz? How could you leave me and even those innocent babies that should be smothered by your kisses?" I speak aloud as if expecting a response but I get nothing. "I love you Chizu-," I say as I feel a squeeze on my hand. Did I just imagine her squeezing back my hand? "Again,please!" I sit up, clutching her hand waiting to feel her squeeze again but nothing. Grief is affecting my sanity as I essentially beg a corpse to move.
"Wait for me at the blossoms," I say as I kiss her for the last time and leave her.
