Ambience ~ n.m.

39; A Closer Walk To Thee

'I Run To You' by MISSIO

"This world keeps spinning faster into a new disaster. 

So I run to you.

I run to you, baby.

And when it all starts coming undone."

Yesterday, the bayou was bombed, resulting in many wolf casualties. Yesterday, Father Kieran died due to the witch hex bestowed upon him. And where was I? Home. Not being told about it.

Kieran died. Wolves died. And I was home.

Absolutely no one decided to tell me about it. All of those people who had died and I couldn't help. Elijah broke the news to me.

_____

I saw a casket at the end of the aisle. I slowly walked towards it, feeling nothing from my abilities. People sat in the pews and their eyes stared forward.

I felt lighter as I walked down the aisle and saw Klaus sitting in the front row. He stood up and kissed my cheek, I smiled at the familiar feeling and he sat down where he was. Everyone kept their eyes locked to the closed casket. I gulped and stepped forward, putting my hands on the smooth dark wood.

I opened it, expecting Kieran, but a baby lay in the casket.

I looked down to my stomach and it wasn't swollen with the hopes of life anymore. The baby was here, in front of me. The baby made a small noise and I set my fingertips to her cheek. I went to pick her up, but pain erupted from my back, blood pouring from my mouth.

I turned to see someone I had not expected; Mikael. He grabbed me by the hair as I gasped.

"Hello, beast," he laughed at me.

I gasped awake from my sleep, but it was all just a nightmare.

_____

I was dressed for the wake in a simple black dress and a grey cardigan, but was this even considered a funeral? We were in a bar for fucks' sake. Irish music played, people drank and danced around Keiran's coffin.

I walked over to the table Klaus sat at and sat down in the empty space across from him. "You lucky bastard. At least you can drink," I sigh.

"Why would you possibly want to drink?" Klaus asks.

The sound of a glass clinking took both of us out our conversation and turned to Marcel. "I know I haven't been around these parts lately," Marcel began. "It's a testament to Father Kieran that we could come together and share a drink and a story or two. Kieran rolled into town on a rusty old cruiser after his daddy died twenty-five years ago. And, damn it, that guy could party," Marcel jokes, earning a collection of laughs.

"That was, of course, before he took his vows. But even then, he was committed to the Quarter. He knew that this town needed him, and we still do. To Father K," Marcel raises his glass out of respect, and everyone else did the same.

Elijah joined us at our table as the party resumes. "Seems rather uncivilized to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one," Klaus spoke.

"Yes, far better practice your process of grief, isn't it, Niklaus? Denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements," Elijah states. "I will warn you, Harper. Niklaus is in a spectacularly foul mood today," Elijah tells me.

"Sod off," Klaus mutters.

"I'm just a little angry that no one told me about the moonlight rings that Klaus is trying to solicit to wolves, but oh no. The pregnant mother doesn't get to be counted in on the war her family is fighting," I hiss viciously.