Prompts and Challenges

#Penthus - Write about the death of a loved one. [Greek mythology competition]

#C39. laughing at a funeral [Scavenger Hunt]

#475. Snakes [If you dare challenge]

#3. "It's not that easy." [500-1000 words; Royalty competition]

Words: 1,300

The Joy in the Sorrow

"Good-bye, and rest in peace, Morgause."

The black square box, engraved with elegant and beautiful greens snakes around it, was slowly lifted into the big hole in the ground.

"What is that big box, Morfin?" 5-year-old Merope Gaunt asked her older brother. He was crying very hard, but she didn't know why.

"It's called a coffin, Mer," was the short reply and his voice was loaded with emotion. That doesn't explain anything, Mer thought to herself as she watched an old man give directions to the people that were still trying to put the black box into its place.

"Why do these people put this coffin thing it in that hole?" She asked confused, "no one will be able to see the beautiful snakes anymore."

Morfin sighed. "That hole… is a grave," he answered in a weird way. It almost sounded as if he had trouble breathing. "And they burry the coffin in there."

Not really satisfied with her brother's answer, she turned her head slightly to glance up at her father, who was standing next to her. His face was well guarded, and she couldn't imagine what he was thinking. But somehow, he looked a little sad. She reached out and carefully grabbed his hand with her little one. She was surprised when he didn't pull away like he usually did. She even felt him squeeze it slightly. Merope smiled. Her father had never done this before.

Smiling a little, she turned back to her brother.

"Why are all these people here?" she asked him again, gesturing with her free hand towards all the people in robes around them.

"They are here to… pay their respects," Morfin answered, again in a very montone voice. Merope assumed that he made the little pause in his answer because he wasn't really sure what to tell her. Well, he cannot know everything, right?

She observed that they were walking slowly, and in a row and one after the other. Occasionally they stopped in front of the – what's it called again? Oh yes, grave! - grave and threw a shovel of dirt into it. Why would they do this? Merope watched as they made their ways over to her father afterwards. The shook his hand and most of them said something along the lines "our sincerest condolences, Lord Gaunt," or "We are very sorry for your loss, Marvolo." Mer had absolutely no idea what they meant with that, but her father always answered with the same sentence, "Thank you. I am sorry, too."

Merope could see that her daddy was indeed sad about something, and all the people talking to him just made it worse in her opinion. She didn't want to push her luck, but she slowly brushed the back of his hand with her little thumb. Her eyes grew wide and her heart skipped a beat when she felt her father holding on to her little hand even more. Merope tried not to smile to brightly, since she saw that all the people around her, including her brother, were not happy at all. Indeed, they looked incredibly sad. But it was really difficult to hide her happiness, since her father had never taken her hand before. And Merope really enjoyed the feeling of being close to him.

"Why are all the people wearing black?" she whispered in her brother's ears. Somehow she had the feeling that she should be talking quietly, after all everyone else did.

"They are mourning,"

They are what? She raised one eyebrow and frowned for a moment. "What does that mean, Morfin?"

Not even looking at her, he answered, "People wear black when they are sad, Mer," he explained and chocked a little at the end.

"Morfin?" Merope addressed her brother again and looked at her brother with her big black, unknown and innocent eyes. "Does that mean that daddy is sad, too?"

"That's what it means."

She pursed her lips. "But daddy is never sad," she protested and added a little scared, "angry perhaps, but never sad."

Her brother sighed, finally tore his glance away from the coffin and looked at his little sister with a weird mixture of regret and understandment. "Today he is, Mer. He never held your hand, did he?"

Merope shook her head, but smiled shyly at her brother. "Is it bad that I like it?"

Despite his best efforts, his eyes filled with tears and to Mer's complete surprise he laid an arm around her shoulder. He had never done that before, either! She thought excitedly. Usually he just uses me when he is bored… "I – It's not that easy. All I tell you is that you shouldn't get your hopes up… I don't think he will do it again after today."

Merope leaned into her brother's embrace, happy that he didn't push her away like he usually did. "That's ok, Morf. After all, you never held me before either. And I like that, too."

Morfin laughed, even though Mer thought it was a sort of dark laugh. "Well, you shouldn't get used to that either."

"Because today's a special day?"

"Yes," the boy said, nodded and turned his attention back to the grave. Merope observed that almost every one of the other people had left by now. Only a couple of people she didn't know, her father and brother were remaining.

"It's time," her father suddenly said in a – for him very unusual- emotional voice and Mer smiled when she felt his grip around her hand getting stronger. Her father started walking, taking her and Morfin with him to the whole. Grave. Mer corrected herself.

"Here," Marvolo said and handed each of his children a beautiful rose. Mer liked the rose, but she wasn't really sure why her father had given it to her. She watched confused as her father and brother both laid the rose on top of the coffin-thing. They mumbled something, but she wasn't able to understand it. Suddenly, Morfin nudged her softly. She was surprised; usually it hurt quite a lot when he did that.

"Put the rose on the coffin, Mer," he said. She wanted to ask why she had to do this. After all, she really wanted to keep the nice little rose, but when she looked him in the eyes, she saw tears streaming down his cheeks and decided against it.

"Now, say goodbye, Merope," her father said in a gentle whisper. Merope couldn't believe her ears. He never speaks gentle! And he never whispers! Today really has to be a special day!

Enjoying the unusual nice words of her father, she did as she was told. "Good-bye."

She felt her father grabb her hand again, and she more than willingly took it with a small smile. She was delighted when she felt her brother take her other hand. And together they started walking away.

"Daddy," Mer suddenly asked, and again, she was surprised when he stopped to look at her. "When is mummy coming back?"

She watched her father take in a deep breath, and then he moved his hand and Merope inwardly ducked. She didn't want him to hit her again. But her eyes widened even more when, instead of hurting her, her father softly grabbed her chin and lifted it so he could look into her eyes. She saw tears in them. Daddy never cries…

"Merope," he began in a gentle voice, and for the first time ever, she watched as a tear rolled down his cheek, "Morgose won't come back for a very long time, I'm afraid."

And then he did something absolutely thrilling. He lifted her up, held her close and continued walking. Merope put her tiny arms around his neck, enjoying the feeling of having her father and brother close to her.

Once mummy is back, she thought happily, I'm gonna tell her everything about this really joyful day.