Blue Eren

Tyburn's Tree

Elena was awoken by a sound outside her window, she tried to block it out for some more precious sleep but something told her that this was a bad idea.
She sluggishly got out of bed and pulled her curtains open, a flash of sunlight welcomed her, how had the horrendous weather of the night before just evaporated so quickly.
That sound again.
Elena looked at her old apple tree and was shocked to find Eren with a makeshift rope around her neck.
"Oh my god!"
Eren kicked the chair away she had been standing on.
"No!" Elena rushed to the kitchen pulling out her carving knife.
She rushed outside and fumblingly cut Eren down who landed hard on the ground choking.
"You stupid girl! So goddam stupid!" Elena cut the rest of the choker off her neck. "What were you thinking!?"
Eren continued to cough making no attempt to respond.
"You damn fool, that's not the way!" Elena helped her back inside, planting her back on the sofa. "Now just stay there. I understand you know, believe me. But it's not the way, don't think I didn't contemplate it myself. You're staying here with me until you're feeling better again."
Eren wasn't listening to a word of it, she had come down with chronic fatigue syndrome, Evie's death wasn't going to be something she could overcome. She was going to suffer for a long time and Elena had a lot of hard work ahead.
That day Elena pampered Eren, got her meals which she barely ate, tried to cheer her up, played a board game, even getting the console out.
Eren hadn't spoken a word all day, Elena knew she needed time but she would figure it out.
"Don't speak just nod. Do not try to kill yourself again, I mean it, there's always a reason to keep living. Do you understand what I'm saying to you Eren?"
Eren just started at her.
"If you do nothing else for me at least acknowledge me."
Eren gave a slight nod then closed her eyes.
Elena knew that's all she would get out of the blue haired sloth today.
She covered Eren up as she slept on the sofa again.
"I really hope you can overcome this, I swear I'll do all I can to help you. I think Magnus came to me to warn me what you were doing, he saved your life today."
Elena went outside to his grave, she knelt down and kissed it. "If you'd had the chance to grow up, be an adult and enjoy life you would have been a good person, I know it. Thank you for telling me about Eren earlier, this tree is my remembrance to you not a gallows for a mourning teenager." She sighed and looked up. "Help me help her, I know you're always with me and I appreciate it so much." A tear fell from her eye, she let it drop onto her lips. "Okay hun it's time to get back inside, it's getting dark, come on inside with me and sit by the fire." Elena stood by the door for a moment imagining her son walking inside and sitting by the television with her, it kept her feeling sane most of the time.
Elena sat and read her second favourite book again, thinking about the loss they'd all suffered. Evie had been so alive, a spunky kid who revitalised you, made you want to do things, Elena would be doing her a disservice not to somehow help Eren out of the Hell she was going through.
Eventually tiredness came to her and she realised it would be best to rest up as much as possible too seeing as she would be in a way Eren's carer, friends of course but this was the nearest she'd get to being a mother, she wanted to prove to herself she could do it, and well.
She suddenly felt a pang of anger towards Eren's father. "You damn fool, never had enough time for her, what I wouldn't give...you'd better make this up to her when she returns to you or I'll personally find you and kick your useless ass, seriously men."
That night both women would dream, they had messengers looking out for them.
One of the apples on the Tree of Remembrance fell landing on the little grave.
The apple was shaped like a face, a tear fell down its cheek and seeped into the soil.
A blackbird swooped down and grabbed the piece of fruit flying off with it.