Exquisite Poison (Original Draft)

Chapter 87 - Naked, But Oblivious

Netta wept, felt her tears coursing down her face. She was helpless to move from the unbearable, suffocating weight of her sister's arms and weight. "Please, Mother, I can't bear it. I'll die if I have to watch him - and you -"

Hera sighed, her annoyance obvious. "Sia, do you mind shutting that one up? If you have to stifle her to keep her from speaking..."

Sia spoke, clutching Netta to her, her voice seemed to have returned to some degree of its typical hardness. "What's the matter, Mother, I thought you said you wanted her suffering -"

Hera interrupted, her voice angry, rising for seemingly the first time from a low, almost bored tone. "Shut up, you spoiled child! I will tell everyone when they can and cannot speak, I will not stand for anyone to question me or my methods. I will not -"

Netta could not stand it a moment longer. She kicked, flailed in her sister's oppressive grasp, knocking her head back and hearing the sickening thud as the back of her head collided with her sister's jaw.

Sia cried out, and Netta joined it, the sound of their crying a disjoint unity that met with the unholy wailing of Ash in Netta's mind. It was as though they were all members in a chorus whose music was the insane howling of the damned.

Hera's voice, a yell, rose, somehow, over the sound of their screaming. "All of you will be silent, quiet now - this is my moment, the instant I have been planning for decades, and I won't have it spoiled by my own progeny!"

Netta almost managed to wrestle free from Sia's tightening grasp, her struggling sending them to the ground, with the taller Witch clutching Netta's writhing back. Netta's gaze was stuck, horribly, to the sight of her husband, crouched over her mother, frozen as he was forced to heed the will of her mother.

As Sia tried, vainly, to keep her still, Netta realized then that her mouth was still free. She cried out, trying to struggle away from Sia. "Please, Mother! Don't make me watch this. If he has to kill me, please just do it now." Netta struggled, then her mind fell on one last hope, one thing that could sway her mother. She added, "One last request, from your daughter. Your - your pitiful, disgraced, unnatural daughter."

Hera stilled. Netta saw it, uncertainty, the moment before Sia's hands groped over her face as though she were looking for purchase, silencing and gaining control over her.

As Netta pitifully, half-heartedly fought her sister off, Hera spoke. "I've grown tired of your bleating, little sheep. You want to come to your death early, who am I to argue? Ash, get off of me and lift me up."

Ash cried out aloud then, and Sia stopped struggling to gain control on Netta, as though she had been frozen.

Sia hissed in Netta's ear. "What are you doing? Mother - she's going to kill you. Don't you understand? She'll kill you like she had Beryl killed."

Netta only watched as Ash appeared next to the altar, his hand extended to Hera as he helped her up. When he turned back, facing her, she saw his wide, horrorstruck green eyes.

Netta almost broke at the sight of him.

As Hera took his hand, the naked Witch stood next to Ash. She stood like a queen should - tilting her head up high, seeming to not be in the least bit phased by the oversized - truly hulking - Monster that stood next to her.

Ash shivered with the desire to snap her neck.

For a moment as they gazed at each other, Netta could feel their thoughts melding together, their emotions. Their agony, shame, fear, anger and sorrow melded together until it felt like a living, tumorous growth in her soul.