Into The Mist

The rally had gone without issue.

Lizzie had sent Ruby and Charlie off to bed after supper. They'd complained a bit about not having her read a story, but she'd shooed them off fairly easily. Then she'd dismissed Frances and the other staff for the evening. Turing on the radio, Lizzie had taken her seat in the library. And she waited, like Tommy said. And she listened, like Tommy said.

And the rally went on without issue.

Mosely spoke his lies and filth. The crowd cheered. And still she sat and she waited and she listened. Then the event was finished. The sounds of a crowd dispersing peacefully came through the speakers for a moment. The evening program turned to static. And still Lizzie sat. Because there had been nothing- no gunshot, no screams and chaos- nothing Tommy had told her was to happen.

But that had been hours ago. The day was beginning to make its presence known out the window of her bedroom. She had waited up for Tommy- she didn't know why. She had listened all night for the crunch of tires on gravel. And yet the sound only came now, as the weak morning sun failed to break through the thick fog that had surrounded Arrow house in the night.

She saw Arthur park the car in front of the fountain. She watched as he got out and half stumbled his way to the other side. For a moment she wondered if Tommy had been injured, what with Arthur dragging his brother from the car. But there was no blood that she could see. And after a moment Tommy had righted himself. Well, he stood unaided, at any rate.

A chill seemed to wrap itself around Lizzie as she watched her husband. The man was always a bit stiff, a bit distant, a bit cold. But never frozen- not even the night he'd lost Grace. But now... Now, Lizzie felt as if he had turned to ice. A part of her- the part she often hated- said go to him. But the smarter side of her said that she'd be of no help. And she couldn't handle his abuse this early in the day.

So she stayed where she was and watched his brother speak words she couldn't hear and didn't care to know. She pulled her arms tighter around herself as if to ward off the chill that Tommy sent out- reaching her even through the walls and distance between them. Her mind took her to the day's events- visiting Ada, helping Charlie with his lessons, trying to keep Ruby from ruining another of her dresses. She stood at the window and planned the dinner menu and what letters needed writing for the many Shelby charities.

So she almost missed him when he left.

He'd turned towards the field- the one that he'd blown to kingdom come not too long ago. He marched towards it as if he were heading into a meeting- preparing for a fight. And just before the fog pulled him into its cold embrace, she saw it. The twitch of his hand at his side. The sharp yank as he pulled his gun free of its holster. And suddenly she was made of ice.

'Should you choose to depart...'

Her feet were moving before she'd had time to tell them where to go. The corridor seemed to last for ages instead of the mere seconds it usually took to get to the stairs. She barely felt the cold of the floor on her bare feet as she ran to the front door- her coat left on its hook. It had been a long while since she'd had to run barefoot outside- but her body could never stop being used to pain or forget how to push through it.

'Either by your own hand or another...'

She heard Arthur call after her, but she ignored him. Because she could still see him- just a bit. The swish of his black coat was still there through the fog. So she chased after it. She couldn't lose sight of it. Gravel gave way to damp grass, then grass gave way to mud and still she kept going. She could hear him now, just barely- talking to ghosts, talking to himself- talking...just talking.