Death Becomes Her – Judgement
Note: I was very impressed by the move but at the end *Spoiler Alert* I thought 'What Next' so I put together this short story to deal with Madeline's and Helen's helpless situation. I give full credit to 'Universal Pictures' for releasing this remarkable and unforgettable movie.
Year 2029 – 37 years after Ernest was widowed.
It was Ernest's funeral after he had lived for 87 years and Madeline and Helen had just left the church and during their argument; Helen had tripped on a roll of spray paint which was misplaced in desperation she had grabbed Madeline as she was contemplating to push her down the stairs, Helen grabbed Madeline in her vain attempt to stabilise herself but her wait and Madeline's frailty caused them both to fall down the stairs.
However, since Madeline and Helen drank the potion many years ago, even if their bodies had died, their spirits will remain bound to their broken bodies. Since Madeline fell down the stairs and broke her neck and Helen was shot in the stomach 37 years ago in their fight over Ernest, they both were decomposing and had to resort to spray paint, make-up, staples, false eyelashes, implanting fake teeth and rubber cement to keep their bodies together.
When they hit the ground at the base of the stairs and the shock had shattered both their bodies. Helen's head rolled up to Madeline's head as her disembodied arm had her fingers tapping the ground.
"Do you remember where you parked the car?" Helen's disembodied head asked Madeline's disembodied head just rolled her misty decomposing eyes in response.
Out of the corner of Madeline's eye, noticed, even they both experiencing deteriorating eyesight she had noticed two ambulances driving into the church car park.
"Did someone call an ambulance?" Madeline sarcastically countered and she noticed a shadow hanging over her head and she cursed as she thought it was Ernest's family and friends who had saw their mess.
"You certainly got yourselves messed up." A man observed with an accent as he entered into their sight who appeared to one of those who attended the funeral but he wasn't horrified of what he saw. "Don't worry; I ensure you both that the attendants at the funeral will stay inside until we clean up." He assured.
"Who is he?" Helen demanded.
"Do I know you?" Madeline asked sternly.
"Ah yes, I'm not surprised your eyesight is not good as it used to be. But I had met you 37 years ago to help you with your appearance Ms Ashton." The man answered.
"You took the..." Helen accused but she was cut off.
"Of course! But we don't speak such things in public. However I'm hear to tell you are both expected and she's not pleased." The man smoothly interrupts.
"What's going to happen?" Helen asked as the ambulances parked and the paramedics stared collected the pieces of Helen's and Madeline's bodies.
"Well we dealt with this before and it won't be any different; let us get on our way." The man ushered.
It was uneventful trip and both ambulances had arrived, not at a hospital but the the tall imposing castle like mansion that both Helen and Madeline had visited to receive their touch of magic. The ambulances had parked and the paramedics carried out the stretchers which had Helen's and Madeline's bodies and were wheeled into the mansion and taken to the basement which looked like a room from a crematorium.
Then a woman appeared from the hall, wearing a black broad collared robe carrying an old urn with two men carrying two urns where were recently manufactured. The woman saw the bodies of Madeline and Helen and she gave a sharp look of rebuke and she appeared she never aged a day since Helen and Madeline had met her.
"Madam Lisle Von Rhoman; they're here as you ordered." The man announced.
"Very good, you may leave now." Lisle dismissed and turned to face Madeline and Helen.
"I thought you don't ..." Madeline accused.
"Silence! You both were banished for a reason but the time has come to face the consequences for failure to take care of your bodies." Lisle rebuked.
"It's not my fault! Madeline had shot me..." Helen argued.
"I said silence!" Lisle demanded, then she soften her countenance. "It's not the first time this had happened." She reminisced as she caresses the ancient urn in her hands. "Do you know who's urn it is?" She asked and Helen gave a blank look and Madeline only stared at it despite her poor eyesight she can tell it doesn't look new.
"It's old." Madeline's answered with distaste.
"It's over one hundred and thirty years old. This is the urn of Count Dracula." She answered.
"I thought it was just a horror story." Helen mused.
"Speak when spoken to." Lisle chastised as she sharply looked at Helen and she turned to face them both. "In fact, he was once known as 'Vlad the Impaler.' He took the potion nearly six hundred years ago to allow him to continue to reign and fight the Ottomans until they were wiped out the face of the Earth. Until he was betrayed by one of his men and received a fatal wound to his heart which would've killed him instantly. However; his spirit is bound to his body and he had confided to his family castle until the late 19th century." Lisle explained.
"Do Van Hellsing destroyed him with sunlight?" Madeline probed.
"Close, but since you both know the story of Count Dracula, I'll explain briefly. Yes he was able to preserve his body with blood transfusions, sorcery and the cool damp climate of Transylvania had allowed him to function but in he was desperate to restore his late wife and drew the attention of Doctor Van Hellsing while he was in London and tracked him back to Transylvania and his body, like yours was falling apart and drying up rapidly in the end it was a combination of optics and sunlight that caused his body to ignite which set his spirit free." Lisle concluded as she tapped Dracula's urn and Madeline's and Helen's foggy eyes widened.
"So who are the other urns belong to?" Helen asked weakly.
"They're yours after your spirits are both released from your broken bodies." Lisle answered and the incinerator was ignited and ready to receive the bodies. "Put them in!" She commanded her eternally young servants and they complied and inserted Helen's stretcher into the incinerator.
"No!" Helen screamed as her broken body is burned to dust and Madeline gave a frightened look.
"Please! There must be another way, the body can be restored somehow. I can pay you with everything I got!" Madeline pleaded.
"Oh Madeline, I also had told you the topic of coin is not so simple and no coin can help you now." Lisle answered and the servants had removed the Helen's ashes out of the incinerator and poured them into her urn. Then they picked up Madeline's stretcher and inserted it into the incinerator.
"No! Please no! I'll do anything! NO!" Madeline screamed after she pleaded.
"Ashes to Ashes. Dust to dust. Let this be a lesson learned for those who don't take care of themselves." Lisle Reminisced as Madeline's ashes are poured into her urn.
Fin