The Plague

Ch.53

OOOOOkay late update again

I was stuck in a car

and again

for like 15 hours

with two screaming 10 year olds in the back seat who really like to play war

Thank God for my freedom

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Mitch's POV

Just as we were reaching the base, a sudden thought occurred to me and I stopped. Connor jumped and grabbed my leg at the sudden change.

"Guys, I don't think we should go back in there," I warned.

Jason cocked his head at me before looking at the base. "Why not?"

Jerome caught my train of thought. "Yeah, you're right."

Ryan grunted. "Anyone care to explain why not?"

I shrugged. "Well. it didn't exactly take him long to find us. We only lasted what, one night before Quirren's mum showed up?"

Devin whirled around. "What?" He snapped.

"Oh, dude," Ian whispered. "We're so sorry. She, she came before you did. We couldn't get her out of it, and she was attacking us. She's in the front yard."

His eyes widened and Quirren slid out of his arms, landing gracefully on the ground. Without another word, he raced around the side of the house.

Quirren crawled over to me and eagerly curled up in my waiting arms. "He's gone to find mummy, hasn't he?" She whispered quietly. I sighed and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"Yeah. It's gonna be okay, though." She nodded meekly before burying her face into my shirt.

Jerome nodded in the direction Devin had just run in. "Should we go find him, or give him a minute? Mitch is right, the dark sorcerer will be mad now that he's lost both of his servants."

I stared in the direction, where heartbroken sobs could now be heard. "I'll go. We don't want to force him. We'll come back here when he's done."

I tried to set Quirren down, but she just curled her fists even tighter into my shirt. "Oh, Quirren? You don't really want to come with me, I promise."

She shook her head and sobbed slightly. I sighed and gathered her up even tighter in my arms, making sure her head was buried in my chest. The movement pulled at the torn skin on my back, but I brushed the pain aside and walked around the corner of the house.

Devin was kneeling at the edge of the clearing, spine contorted so that he could he lean over the body in his lap. I thought he may have calmed down, but at that moment he sucked in a deep breath and let out a heart-wrenching scream. He collapsed into wailing sobs.

I kneeled down quietly next to him. He had gathered up his wife in his lap, and was clutching one hand tightly while the other stroked her cheek. He had smoothed her hair down, so much that your could barely see the congealed blood that covered the back of her skull and back. He had left her eyes open, though, staring blankly up at the yellow sky.

He choked for a breath as I sat down next to him. "She used to love minecraftia. She was so fond of the sky. The colors it would turn, every single day, when the sun set or came up, or even just the bright blue. She used to say that she kept the sky with her at night, in her eyes. I thought she did, too. They were always so bright and happy, and then when Quirren was born, it looked like the sky in her eyes would never dim." He sobbed.

"I-I can't close them. I remember her eyes, before. They were white, and blank, and just so full of malice," he spit. "That wasn't her. That was not my wife. That was not the perfect woman who prayed day and night that our child would gain the powers of the light, that our child could grow up safe and happy, that we could be a family." He sobbed.

"I-I can't close them. I remember her eyes, before. They were white, and blank, and just so full of malice," he spit. "That wasn't her. That was not my wife. That was not the perfect woman who prayed day and night that our child would gain the powers of the light, that our child could grow up safe and happy, that we could be a family." He sobbed.

"Sorcerers never get a happy ending. Two lights for parents often result in a dark child. We thought we were blessed when Quirren came out as a light. Then she had her bright blue eyes, and she was delighted. She was so happy, watching Quirren grow up. I remember one day, she Quirren came back home with an injured chicken, and demanded we help it." He whispered. "I don't think she had ever been more proud of her own daughter than when she saw how kind and good and full of light she was."

I stayed quiet, letting him just talk.

"I guess we should have known. I just... Quirren was 3 years old hen we last saw her. She only got three years of her pride and joy." He choked for a breath. "The idea that we turned Quirren, possessed her, she would've hated that. I think she honestly is happier dead than working for him."

Quirren, who had poked her head out of my arms, was quietly watching him sob. Her wide blue eyes, just liker her mothers took in the way he was stroking her cheek, caressing her head.

"Daddy," She whispered.

Slowly, he looked up and met her gaze. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Do you think Mummy is happy again?"

He nodded slowly, forcing a heart broken smile onto his face. "I think so, squirrel." He choked. "I really think so."

He looked back down at his wife for a minute before looking back up at me. "Let's go. Let's get out of this place, and I am going to kill him."

I nodded solemnly. "When we get to him, he's all yours."

He nodded and took in a deep breath. "That's good. That's good."

I slowly stood up, repositioning Quirren into her favorite spot on my shoulders. Devin gently brushed the hair away from his wife's forehead and gently kissed her. Just before he stood up, he whispered something so quietly it was almost unintelligible.

"I'm so sorry, Mela."

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The feels are strong with this one?

I hope so

We needed some more heartbreak, eh?

Noooooow to bloxie to deal with the aftermath of whatever emotional damage I hopefully just caused!