"Mittens" I greeted after waiting a few moments. Both Edric and Emira had said something by now. "It's been awhile".
Amity said nothing. All she did was glare at me silently, her golden eyes glowing in the dark.
"You've come here to show me my future. That seems a bit backwards, seeing as I am the oracle".
She still said nothing, her silence as haunting as her appearance. A few more moments passed before she took a step forward. She offered me her hand, which, just like her face, also had bones painted onto it.
It was my turn to hesitate. Did she really have nothing to say? Emira was completely furious at me and even she said something, yet Amity stayed stubbornly silent. The last time she saw me she said she'd never speak to me again, but surely she wasn't serious about keeping that promise. If she was, why would she be here?
"Is there a reason you're staying silent? Are you trying to prove some sort of point?".
Instead of speaking, she stuck her hand out a little farther, urging me to grab it. I obliged, re-summoning the same blizzard that brought my youngest into my room. When the snow and freezing chill cleared it revealed a dusty red hill covered with tombstones. My ice blue eyes went wide in surprise. I had been there many times before.
"This is the family cemetery. Why bring me here?".
Amity pointed down at a scene below. At the very bottom of the hill, a procession was being held. There was nobody there aside from the witches carrying the coffin and a pastor saying the same blessing given to everyone who was buried. The former lowered the casket, which was made from cheap splintering wood, quickly while the latter rushed through his speech.
"May the titan welcome you, and may your soul have rest and mercy". The tone of his voice was flat, as if he were some little witchling reciting their lines for a school play. In fact no one showed any emotion at all aside from flashes of annoyance. No tears, or mournful wails, or anything! It was as if everyone there was just going through the motions, impatiently waiting to get back to the rest of their day.
"Are you trying to say this will be my funeral?" I deadpanned. There was no way that could be right. I understood a majority of the isles hated me, but there would still be some witches there, right? "It was a good attempt, Mittens, but your scare tactics won't work on me".
All of the sudden, Amity began to walk down the hill. Her steps were so fast, I had to hurry to keep up with her. Was it her anger that had given my daughter all of this energy or was she simply walking through the motions too?
When we had arrived at the open grave, the witches there faded like mist. Amity pointed down into the hole as we locked eyes. Silently, she warned me that what I was about to see would shake me to my core. And, surprisingly, she was right.
It was what I expected to see, yet the sight still sent a tingle up my spine. My skin was so pale it was almost white, and it was badly marbled like a spider demon steak. Instead of being nicely shut my two eyes were sloppily stitched. The suit I was in was two sizes too large and had holes in both the sleeves and legs. It was as if there was no thought into my embalming at all.
Once again, this couldn't have been what my funeral looked like. I had enough money to have a nicer one, and no matter if I was surrounded by family or not, surely they'd treat my body much better than that. Yet the image was forever frozen into my brain. It muddied my mind and made me question if that was really true.
"Why are you showing me this? You don't think–-ah!".
The corpse in front of us suddenly lurched forwards and latched onto my ankle. I kicked at it with all my might, squirming to wriggle my foot free, but that just took away my balance. It soon yanked me to the ground and began to drag me deep into its tomb, which was now nothing but a pit of darkness. Desperately I clawed at the dirt with my nails, yet its pulling didn't falter. I slid like the grass was covered in ice.
Amity sprung forwards and grabbed my hands with both of hers. With all of her might, she fought to pull me back up but only ended up sliding near the edge herself. The ground below her began to crumble yet she didn't seem to notice. She was too focused on saving me.
I knew this was all some illusion, but I feared the depths anyway. Its darkness shook me to my core, radiating a strong feeling of hopelessness like heat from a fire. It felt heavy like failure, constricting like dead dreams that were left to rot along with innocence. It was not a pit I wanted to be swallowed by. Yet If she didn't let go and flee soon, Amity would just plummet into the depths along with me. She had to stop. She had to let me go!
I yanked one of my arms from Amity's grip and shoved her away. In the meanwhile, I kicked at the ground, making gravity tear the rest of myself out of her arms. As I dove into the darkness, she scrambled backwards, her eyes shot open in shock. My sight of her got smaller and smaller until I could no longer see her.
And then I woke up.
Sunlight peeked through my window, which was still smashed by the way, and my room was all back to normal. I confusedly moved the covers on top of me to the other side of my bed and sat up. Was that really all Amity had to show me, a doom and gloom message about my future? Wasn't there any grievances she wanted to lecture me about? I knew there were.
Indeed, I knew why she was angry. Perhaps that's why she didn't speak, instead only showing me the consequences. Showing me that my future would be lonely till the very end, and that I'd be buried with my thirst for success forever. I would have nothing then, no family, no one to keep my memory, just my own darkness for my soul to cling onto forever.
She didn't think I wanted that, right? She didn't think I chose not to listen to her? She had to have known that I only pushed her so she wouldn't be dragged down with me. Well there was only one way to find out. It was time to go talk with my family.
Yet no one was outside my bedroom window. Where was everyone? They couldn't have just left after all that could they? Titandammit! I couldn't have been too late! ...No. It's not like they were gone forever. They all probably just went to bed. I could still find them.
A meow pulled my attention back to my window. Sitting on the windowsill, patiently grooming her white pelt, was Amity's palisman. Once she was done licking a patch of fur on her chest she jumped down and trotted up to me. She sat down, expectantly staring at me with her dark blue eyes.
"Ghost" I said while lowering down to her level. "Where is Amity?".
Ghost flicked the ear farthest from me, silently telling me to follow her, then shot towards the marketplace. I raced after her as quickly as I could, though my age had caught up to me years before now. I was lucky to have been able to spot her weaving through the growing crowd and under all the carts on the road. But she finally stopped by a stand on the corner, a stand I knew rather well.
"Morning. Odalia". Titan, it was too early for this. "Is there a reason you're still in your pjs".
The large fanged witch's comment sent my gaze down to what I was wearing. Just like I had feared, I was still in my blue silk sleep shirt and comfort pants. I let out a growl and shoved my embarrassment down deep inside of me. I stood a little straighter in an attempt to look more confident.
"Never you mind that. I'm looking for my three children. You see, my daughter's palisman brought me here". I pointed to Ghost, who jumped up onto the counter and meowed a welcome.
"That's right. Your three kids left an order for a couple dozen donuts and just left", the dark skinned laughed as he placed two boxes down in front of me. "Mind delivering them for me".
"I mind immensely" I groaned. "But if I must, I will. Did the children pay for it, or do I have to do that too?".
"It's on the house".
"Really? What happened to overcharging me?".
"Didn't say that'll stop, but it's Christmas". So, my children had been there. What in titan's name were they planning? "Besides, I've been thinking, and I admit it. I shouldn't have taken advantage of one of my loyalist customers".,
"Nonsense!" I spat, startling the witch in front of me. "You're only doing what's best for your business".
"But don't you hate being overcharged?".
"Of course, but you mustn't worry about me. Your job is to get my snails, and it's my decision to give you them". Upon hearing that, the saleswitch sank a little bit. His ears went flat in disappointment.
"So, you haven't changed?".
"The rules of business will never change. It will always be cutthroat no matter what your morality says". I stopped for a moment to take a deep breath out. "But family is much different."
With a spell circle, I summoned a velvet bag of snails. I placed them onto the counter, grabbed the two boxes of donuts. And turned around before the merchant could argue.
"Merry Christmas".
The walk to Blight manor felt longer than it used to. Perhaps it was like I said, I was getting older. Or perhaps my emotional turmoil had something to do with it. My nerves were sharpening like knives but fragile as glass. The gate was open, so I was able to walk straight up to the front entrance. Ghost went to scratch at the door but I stopped her with a flick of my ear. Someone was chatting on the other side.
"So, you're positive she'll follow Ghost. Maybe her shoving you away was just her way of ending it".
"No, Em. This wasn't anger. She noticed the ground breaking under my feet and she shoved me away from it. She chose not to drag me down with her".
"This is what we wanted, right. Our plan worked".
"Not if she doesn't show up it didn't".
With my elbow, I knocked on the door a few times. The conversation came to a stop and there was a moment of quiet. Then, finally, the door opened. I was hoping to see one of my children on the other side, but I instead got the human.
"No way! Oh my god, it actually WORKED!". The human pumped her fists in the air and did a little jump. "It's a Christmas miracle!".
"Really?" Emira questioned as she shoved her way to the front door. Her golden eyes widened when she saw me, her mouth slightly gaping open. "I'll be damned. It did work!".
"Yes, yes. I'm here" I rushed. "Can I put these down now?".
Everyone in front of the door made a path for me. I place the two boxes onto the living room table, next to the crystal ball. I then rubbed at my back. My joints were starting to ache.
"You may sit, Odalia" a deeper voice welcomed. I nodded my thanks to my former husband before taking a seat on the couch behind me.
"So, what now?" Edric prodded while picking up a donut.
"I believe mom has some apologizing to do" Emira gnarled before taking a bite of her own.
"Apologize" I hmmed. "I'm not going to apologize".
Angry hollers filled the room. Nearly everyone verbally protested aside from Amity, who was still keeping her vow of silence.
"But" I snapped over all the fussing. "I will admit that I have taken the wrong approach at being your mother, and that I'm willing to amend it".
"Amend it how" Luz pressed, causing me to send a warning glare her way.
"While I will not apologize for my ambition, since a lot of that has brought you the home we're in right now. But Alador was right. It has hindered the care owed to my children. I have failed as your mother in later years, so I've come here today to be a better mother".
Amity took a step forwards, making the rest of the room come to an icy still. The silence, it was deafening. I couldn't even hear the beating of my own heart.
"And how do we know you're not going to just try and control us again?" my youngest growled. Titan, I had nearly forgotten what her voice sounded like.
"Because I now admit that was the wrong approach. You cannot run children like you run a company. I needed to listen to you more, and trust in you to make good decisions. You are adults now for titan sakes. So that is what I'm offering you now".
Another moment of silence, this one sharper than the last. Amity closed the space between us, hovering over me like a buzzard waiting for something to die.
"You promise? You'll no longer make any decisions for us? You'll actually listen".
"Mittens. You know I always keep my end of the deal".
"This isn't a deal. This is a choice" Amity offered me her hand one final time. "Say it. Say you choose us".
I grabbed my daughter's hand, then covered my hold with my other. Unlike usual where my hold is strong and commanding, I held on delicately.
"My children," I vowed. "I choose you".