The Witch of Northester

In Joy and Despair

Kelan didn't speak with me for a week after that. He didn't see me until the day of the funeral. Meredith hardly breathed a word or reason why, merely stating that this was 'his decision' and that I should respect that.

Sitting alone on the edge of my bed, I once again felt hopeless. Staring down at my hands in my lap, tears blurred my vision. What would Mother think? Upon closing my eyes, a teardrop cascaded down my cheek, and I felt it plop onto my left knuckle. A gentle knock on the door was followed my Meredith's muffled voice, letting me know that the carriage is here and we need to start the herse.

As soon as I started downstairs, I realized just how vast the family had been. Most of them looked tearful, startled, or afraid. I wondered how many of them had known? I hadn't seen a one until today, as if they just left her alone to die...alone. With only her son and her servants to keep company.

But why? Could it be because of her involvement in the sisterhood? Did she think she was cursed or...that she had dare I say brought this on herself? Were they afraid for themselves now that she was gone? Be it a vengeful spirit that follow them home or the curse that had not yet collected its toll?

Almost immediately as I stepped off the last stair, the house went quiet. All of the drawn faces, bodies dressed in black, turned to me. Silent as a graveyard.

I swallowed, but tried my best smile for condolences.

"Who is she?" I heard someone whisper as I thread my way through the crowd.

"I don't know..."

"A friend of the family's?"

"A friend of the sisterhood more like..."

Bodies moved out of my way, parting like the red sea as I crossed into the living room to where Kelan sat in the tall back chair by the fire. He held his head, body hunched over in emotional agony. "Hey." I bent to put a gentle hand on his back, but I ended up startling him. He roughly wiped the tears from his cheeks, sniffling.

I winced, sorry I broke his reverent state. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm fine." He sniffed roughly before standing, pushing past me toward the door.

Hurt, I looked to Meredith. She even looked to sympathize with me, but gave a small shake of her head before ushering the others out the door, passing out coats as they made their way. I took her arm before grabbing mine. "Is there anything I can do?"

"It's a bit late for that, miss." But she didn't sound mean about it. Instead, she sounded sorry. "I must admit, I...don't agree with your practices...but I'm grateful you tried."

This surprised me. "Why?"

"Because...in those last few days...after hearing so long from the doctors that nothing could be done except wait for the inevitable...you gave me hope." And there was a flicker of a smile on her face after she said it.

I was touched, my own smile returning after days of sitting in silent beratement. "Thank you."

THat smile vanished with the attention of the curious crowd, and she patted me to leave. "Go on, now. Let's not get too emotional. Kelan's lost a lot. He'll need someone strong to lean on."

"And you think I'm that person."

She looked directly at me. "I know it."

Somehow, this gave ME hope.

The funeral was cold. The first snows of the season in early November making it so. There was hardly wind, but the fat flakes that fell blanketed everything. In the time it took from getting out of the carriage to stand in the spot behind the church, where a hollow hole had been dug for the casket,we were all coated in it.

I looked across the hole to where Kelan stood, staring down. He didn't even look like he was listening to the reverend, or the eulogies passed around various relatives, expressing their love for the woman. I don't know that half of it was true, but it felt hard to believe after their nonexistent presence in my short time, during the last few days she had left on this earth.

By the end of it, Kelan, Meredith and I were the last to leave. I watched person after person pat Kelan on the back, clasp his shoulder, or give him a sobbing hug to which he reacted numbly. There were no more tears in his eyes, and the only color left in his face were the red marks left the the kiss of cold, his only consolation.

"Hey." I finally approached, Meredith waiting for us by the roadside. We watched as the diggers approached. They would not start until we left, but I couldn't help realize how surreal this all felt. Just days ago the woman was alive and breathing. In mere minutes, she would be underground, left undisturbed for all eternity.

I shook away the thoughts, realizing something. "Your mother isn't in there," I nodded to the casket. "That's just a shell. That's just her body. Your mother is in heaven-"

"Heaven," He scoffed, stuffing both hands in his pockets as he turned to leave. "What a joke."

"Fine. Heaven, the spirit realm, the next life- whatever! She's not suffering anymore, and she's moved on. You have to remember that. Don't think of her like this. It will haunt you."

"And how would you know?" I turned abruptly, the heels of his boots crunching in the snow and gravel. "Is that how you think of your mother? At the gallows tree?"

My heart clutched and I stepped back, shaking my head. "That's not fair," I choked.

"No. It certainly is not." He relaxed some, looking over my head to where they were currently lowering the casket into the ground. "You know...in some ways, I'm glad she's gone?"

I stopped. My skin felt colder from that admission than the harsh November air. He can't mean that...

"But you would know all about that feeling, wouldn't you?" His tone had become bitter, and his eyes scrutinized me before turning again to his carriage.

I stood there for several seconds before I felt a pair of hands on my arms and I started. "We'd best be getting back," Meredith whispered to me, encouraging me forward despite my stiff limbs. "Everyone will be back at the house. I've refreshments set up, but you need to talk to him."

"Why me?" I whispered. Kelan had made it clear he doesn't want anything more to do with me.

"Because you're all he's got!" She hissed. "He just doesn't know it yet."