The Flower of Life and Death

𖤓 4 𖤓 It all went up in flames

Katherine sat at the dinner table with her mother whom she had helped cooking the meal. Her father and brother joined them shortly after returning home from work. They ate chatted, and laughed. But a shadow hung over the happy family. On the table was a empty chair left behind by the older brother, the oldest son Matthew, when he decided to leave all of them behind to become better and greater.

The parents mourned their son leaving without ever returning and so did Benedict. But Katherine didn't. If he willingly left her, she wouldn't mourn him. If he acted as if she was worthless to him, he would be worthless to her. If he forgot her even existing, he would no longer be her brother.

After dinner the men returned to work and the mother asked Katherine to get her some herbs from the woods. Happily she agreed as she loved the woods.

Katherine strolled through the woods humming a song and just being happy. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and enjoyed the breeze blowing through her hair. Somehow she felt more in the woods than in her actual home. She found the herbs and strolled back to her home.

On her way she noticed smoke in the sky. Confused Katherine wondered if she forgot about a bonfire. But the closer she came, she noticed it wasn't in the middle of the village where the bonfires always are but rather from the side of the village. The same side where her home was.

Katherine dropped the herbs and started running towards her home. The closer she came to her home, the closer she came to the fire. She ran faster and faster until she suddenly stopped. She was standing in front of her home, her burning home.

Katherine was just standing there, staring at the flames. Katherine did not know how much time has passed when she saw movement in the door. She ran up to the door and to her older brother stumbling out. He fell and she caught him and slowly let him down. She placed his head into her lap and stroked his head.

Benedict had many burn wounds and his breathing was rattling. Katherine knew her brothers lunges were incurable damaged by all the smoke he inhaled. She stroked his head and held his hand until he finally passed away.

Even after he passed Katherine didn't move. She didn't know how much time has passed. She just sat there watching the fire slowly burning out, dying just like her brother did. When dawn hit the fire was out and she slowly rose up.

In trance Katherine walked into the ruins of her home. Near the door she found her parents trapped beneath a roof joist. She pulled her parents out and looked at her dead family.

The day was beginning and the village woke up. Katherine asked another member of the village for a shovel. She pulled each of her dead family members to the forest. To the exact spot where she ran out of the forest the day before. She dug three graves and buried them.

Afterwards it was already midday. Katherine decided to go into the forest instead of a home that didn't even exist anymore. In the forest she picked some berries as she needed something to eat. Afterwards she strolled through the woods aimlessly.

Suddenly a voice shouted, "Hey girl!" Surprised Katherine stopped breathing and slowly turned towards the voice. A woman was standing there. Katherine didn't know whether to stay or to run but she stayed. The woman slowly came closer, "Do not be afraid. What happened to you?" "My family died in the fire yesterday. I am alone. I have nothing and nobody", Katherine stammered finally admitting it to herself.

The woman sighed, "Come. Come with me to my shed and we will eat something." Katherine's hesitantly and the old woman chuckled, "No need to fear me. Even though some say I am a witch I am not. People fear what they do not understand and they do not understand my skill to heal people. I take it as a compliment. My knowledge and skills are so great, they get called magic." Katherine laughed and said, "I like the way you see things." smiled and nodded agreeing to follow her.

The woman led her to a shed. While walking through the woods the woman looked back over her shoulder and asked, "What's your name, girl?" "I'm Katherine Depuis and what's your name, witch?", Katherine said with a smirk. The woman chuckled before responding, "My name's Melissa Garcia."