No Turning Back

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Rider Of The Pale Horse Pt. 3

Anna had gone back to sleep - completely oblivious to what was going on. Primis, however, sat on the stairs continuing to sob as he poured out his heart. Once he felt able to; he went to his sister's bedroom and opened the door quietly. He peered around the door to see her sleeping soundly. At times, Primis wished he could be as oblivious and leave the worrying to his parents. But being the serious soul he is - he knew that would never happen.

That morning, his parents returned and immediately entered the bathroom to disinfect themselves. Jürgen emerged first from the bathroom. He immediately went to Ingrid's room and gingerly shut the door by holding the handle with a handkerchief and locked it. Both parents then made their way to sleep after the unpleasant night - they were unaware that Primis had seen everything.

That day, Ingrid's room was later disinfected and her bedsheets and belongings burned. Primis spent the day close to his sister as he kept a protective eye on her. Even though she was two years older - she was rather innocent. She saw nothing suspicious about their parent's excuse that Ingrid had suddenly gone to stay with her family.

The next few days were wrought with tension and unease. Jürgen was particularly beginning to crack under the pressure as he constantly went over everything in his mind. He recounted every precaution taken as he tried to convince himself that he had done everything to prevent any further spread to the family.

Then, a few days later, they received a note pinned to their garden gate informing them that Ingrid had passed away. Primis followed his father as he watched an angry member of Ingrid's family meet Jürgen by the gate as his father read the letter.

"Zhis is all jour fault!" The man screamed as the pain of his loss consumed him.

"She is gone und jou are all fine!" The man continued.

Jürgen tried to reason with the man yet he refused to calm down. Then, as the man suddenly burst through the gate; Jürgen realised the man was sweating profusely. Primis' eyes widened in terror as he realised that the man was in the throes of the disease himself. He watched as Jürgen stopped the man as he tried to make his way to the house. But in doing so, the man spat in his face. Jürgen froze as the man then calmly walked away. Primis let out a whimper as Jürgen quickly turned around.

"Edvard! Don't come near me!" Jürgen commanded in a panicked voice.

"Papa!" Primis cried as he tried to come closer.

"Nein! Do not step any further, Edvard!" Jürgen roared panickedly - which shocked Primis.

The raised voices and heated exchange had startled Larissa who came running out. She ran to Jürgen who cried out as he tried to stop her.

"Nein, Larissa! Keep Edvard away!" Jürgen wailed.

The tears began to stream down Larissa's face as she was frightened by her husband's sudden change in demeanour. She ran and grabbed Primis who explained what had transpired. She held Primis tightly as she let out a piercing wail. Jürgen fell to his knees as he seemed unsure what to do.

"Papa!" A small voice called out.

Everyone looked around to see Anna suddenly standing behind her father. And before he could get away, she wrapped her arms around him as Primis watched his father's eyes frantically widen in horror. Larissa then turned around to see Anna with her father and let out a shrieking cry as she instinctively ran to Anna and pulled her away. Primis stood there crying as he felt helpless.

"Nein, not jou too Larissa!" Jürgen cried as Larissa held Anna.

He then turned to Primis with sorrowful eyes.

"Mein son, jou must not come near us!" Jürgen wailed as he begged Primis to listen to his words.

Primis did as he was told as Jürgen scooped Anna up in his arms and ran to the house with Larissa behind him. Primis followed behind at a distance as he watched them run to the washroom and desperately try to disinfect themselves.

"Do not cry my girl", Jürgen whispered as Anna began to cry.

Even though the family had tried their best to shield her it still could not prevent tragedy. Even though she was fourteen, she was completely innocent to everything and always needed protecting. But even Primis' attempts shield her from what had been happening fell short. The shield he wielded was only so strong.

Over the next few days; Primis lived separately from the rest of his family. His parents and Anna had locked themselves away in the master bedroom in an attempt to quarantine themselves. Each day seemed to move slowly by as everyone anxiously awaited to know their fate.

Larissa was the first to show symptoms. Then, it was Anna. Primis lay sleeping downstairs on the sofa when he heard the blood curdling sounds of wretching and cries. His heart sank and his body filled with despair as he listened to his mother and sister suffering on the floor above him.

Jürgen tried his best to nurse his wife and daughter through their illness before he too finally began showing symptoms. As the three lay wasting away; Primis felt truly helpless to do anything about it. Days prior, he had attempted to contact the village doctor only to discover that the elderly man everyone relied on had succumbed to the disease himself.

At night, Primis would wander upstairs when the despair was at its height and stand outside their door. Armed with the master key, his mind would race as he would be overwhelmed with the desire to simply unlock the door and be with them. But then, he would regain his faculties and quietly retreat to the sofa downstairs.

Each day went by as his family grew weaker by the day. Then, Anna was the first to pass away. Primis lay crying as he listened to the sobbing of his parents as his mother wailed for her child. Shortly after, Larissa quickly declined and also succumbed to the disease - leaving Jürgen to fight it alone.

Every day, Primis stood by the gate as he begged and pleaded for help from the fellow villagers; yet, even in light of his dreadful situation - they refused to oblige. The deep seated hatred they felt for the Richtofens had numbed even their most basic sense of humanity. And each excruciating day that passed left Primis feeling overwhelmed with isolation and helplessness.

Though, it was not until Jürgen finally lost the battle that Primis realised he was truly alone in this world. Primis knew when he knocked on the door to receive silence from the other side that his father had joined Anna and his mother. The shock at the realisation numbed his whole body. Even when the epidemic burnt itself out shortly after; he still could not comprehend the gravity of the situation.

Primis sat alone in the garden the day they came. The surviving men of the village arrived with shovels and crudely made face masks as Primis watched them walk past him and into the house.

Even when he was led away into a car by one of the women; all he could do was watch with an empty heart as the house slowly disappeared from view...

End of part twenty-seven...