The door was open when he arrived. He hung onto the gate for support.
He had already been.
Slowly he pushed the gate opened and proceeded up the stony path, towards the already open door. He poked his head in first, but seeing nothing, walked in to the house. He looked into the front room. He gasped, on the floor lay his life long enemy. Dead, but unmarked. Despite all the hatred, he couldn't help but feel some remorse. He bent down and straightened the dead mans glasses, before swiftly exiting the room.
His feet carried him to the stairs. As he climbed he became more and more aware of the silence.
"Lily?" He whispered. still, silence.
He rounded the bend in the stairs and round himself on the landing. At the end of the hall he could see a dim candle light. He slowly neared the door and pushed it open.
He dropped to his knees. No, it couldn't be. It wasn't her. It just couldn't be.
He moved forward and sweeped the thick, red hair from the beautiful womens face.
He let out a cry. And leaned forward. Burying his pale face into her hair, smelling her familiar soft smell.
"Lily, oh lily" he whispered.
He pulled her lifeless body close and cradled it. Not bothering to keep quiet. He cried and whimpered.
"Lily" he cried again.
He heard something whimpering behind him. He slowly turned his head.
The whimpering came from the cot that sat across the room. Slowly lying the woman down. He crawled over to the cot, and looked inside.
There lay a baby, although young he already had a messy mass of black hair. The baby looked at him.
He let out another whimper, this baby had her eyes. Exactly her eyes. He held on to the top of the cot and pulled himself up into standing position. He looked down at the baby which was watching him. His eyes looked so much like hers he could not believe it.
The baby let out a cry and the young man leaped backwards. Young children had always unsettled him.
But this wasn't any child. It was hers.
He lent forwards and picked the baby up into his arms and cuddled him close. His crying stopped instantly. She wouldn't want her baby left here, crying, alone.
The baby made a sort of cry and looked down at the woman lying on the floor.
"You can't go to her. She's gone" the young man whispered to him.
He couldn't be here anymore. He didn't want to see her like this anymore. He kissed the babies head and layed him back into the cot, where he begun to cry once more.
He staggered towards the door before turning to take one last look at the love of his life.
"I love you, I always have lily, always" he said. He begun to run down the corridor, the child's cries filling the once quiet house. He fled from the house, tears streaming down his face.
What had he done?