Before the Angels Fall

Chapter 13~ Ariana's Past- Part 2~ The Christmas

A large crowd of people clad in black parted for two other smaller figures dressed in black, followed by a larger figure. Whispers scuttled around in little groups, eventually dying away as the children approached the coffin.

It was beautiful, the coffin, and so was the person who was inside. The older of the siblings felt the beginning of tears and made no movement to stop the flow. The younger was sobbing, crying out in pain, grief, and sadness. Their mother was gone. Gone from this world of cruelty. Perhaps she was spared the impending doom, yet she left a trail of morose. The sullen sight of the children and the father made everyone wince a little, pitying the poor family. Losing someone beautiful is painful.

A collection of broken smiles and glittering tears, and then the funeral was over. Louis looked up at the sky, shaded his eyes with his hand and whispered. "Oh, right. It's Christmas."

Once the family reached their house, Louis announced, "It's Christmas." The father just looked at him blankly and said, "The stuff is in the basement," and left to his study, locking the door afterwards.

"Ariana, it's Christmas."

"I know." She stared at the ground, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Let's get the tree, shall we?"

The siblings helped each other to grab the supplies and ornaments, all the while knocking things over clumsily.

"Did you get everything?"

"Yep. Let's set up the tree."

"Okay~."

Grunting and panting, the children pushed up the heavy tree, its branches scraping their faces, legs, anywhere it could reach. Finally, the siblings sat down, sweating and covered with fake green leaves and small scratches.

"I'm changing out of my dress," announced Ariana. "Are you going to change, Louis?"

"Nope. I'm good." He finally cracked a hint of a smile and tried fixing the crooked tree.

Ariana walked upstairs and changed out of her black velvet dress to a t-shirt and jeans. "Coming!"

As she walked downstairs, she saw Louis with his jacket off, working with his white shirt, which was scratched and covered with leaves, nudging the tree over and cleaning up the leaves. "Louis.....your white shirt....."

At this he glanced at his shirt and shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Just keep working. Did you get the ornaments?"

"They are over here."

"Okay. I guess you can start decorating the tree."

"Mmhm."

That was their only conversation as Ariana and Louis started decorating the tree with dusty ornaments and miniature glass stars, so fragile it wouldn't take much to break them.

It was done. The tree was now full of color and light, not only of a dusty green, but with other brighter colors.

"Why don't we use this as well?" Ariana held up a silver chain with bells attached that jingled and twinkled in the dim light.

"Okay," agreed Louis. "Grab one end. We're going to wrap it around the tree, okay? Wouldn't that look nice?"

"Yep!"Ariana grabbed one end of the chain and nodded to Louis. Both of them threw it in the air and twirled it around the tree, adjusting it when needed.

"Let's not cover up any of ornaments, shall we?" Louis winked at Ariana and grinned.

"Welcome back, old Louis," muttered Ariana under her breath as she, too, grinned at Louis and helped move the chain which was in the way of some ornaments.