Sitting at the bar, the woman knew she was not beautiful. No matter how much she tried to tame her hair, it was always unruly. Her lipstick was too dark for her pale complexion. Her thighs were heavy but she wore clothes to disguise this. But she knew that tonight, she could catch the eyes of another man.

Looking at the gent at the end of the bar, she smiled and tried to arouse his attention. When that didn’t work, she flicked her hair and then stirred her drink with her little finger and seductively sucked the juices from her finger in her rather full mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man stirring and rotating his stool in her direction. Another man was also looking her way. Men were so fickle and left her bed after their conquest. However, tonight was the night that she would take a man home with her and keep him forever. Even if he didn’t marry her, she would keep him around to toy with.

She watched the bartender walk up to her and put a drink in front of her. “The man at the end of the bar sent this to you,” he said with a sly wink. He had seen her before and knew her modus operandi.

Her target slid up beside her and grabbed her back side with his thick hands. She was disgusted with his move but didn’t say anything. After all, she didn’t want him to leave since it felt good to have her libido kindled.

“I live nearby,” she purred.

He got off the bar stool so quickly that he almost knocked it over. She had him where she wanted him and crooked her finger for him to follow her. When they reached her apartment, they had to climb three flights of stairs to reach her humble abode. No one would say he had any finesse when he ripped her blouse off and pulled her panties down. Sex was sweaty and rough but she did not complain. He finished way too soon and she felt disappointed. But maybe he would stay. That's all she wanted.

But no, he pushed her aside, got out of bed and gruffly said, “Thanks, doll! I bet you really liked that.”

She was unable to stifle her anger. As he started to dress himself, she grabbed him by the shirt tails thinking to herself that she knew he was going to stay. As he fell back on her bed with a disgruntled groan, she pulled an ice pick from under her pillow and stabbed him in the throat. And she was right – he did not leave and would never leave again.

“So even with a better sword, Glicko still isn’t fazed, huh?” Rick asked dejectedly.

“It’s ok!” The Pirate said in an upbeat tone. “You, Cerissa, and I will work hard to get stronger, and we will save the people Glicko infects while we improve. I couldn’t ask for a better crew to train and fight alongside.”

“You’re right, who doesn’t love an underdog story?” Rick said cheerfully. “Are you game too Cerissa?”

“Absolutely.” Cerissa said kindly. “We won’t just be comrades, we will be family from here on out.”

Mirk and Tam smiled under their helmets, pleased to see a new team forming for the fight against evil.

“I have transferred the blood samples back to our scientists on base, and they will begin seeking a cure immediately.” Tam reassured. “We will keep you updated.”

“Thank you Tam, we will do the same.” The Pirate replied.

“Long time no see boys.” A familiar voice said.

“Janet!” The Pirate and Rick exclaimed as their previous ally in battle ran over and embraced them.

“It is nice to see you Pirate and Rick.” Janet said enthusiastically. “And pleased to meet you Cerissa, you have a great crew here! I wish I could stay and catch up, but I have to collect Mirk and Tam.”

“What’s going on Janet?” Mirk asked. “Has he finally made a move?”

“Yes, Lifer is causing trouble on a train this time. We are being called to evacuate the train and stop Lifer for good.”

“Ok, let’s do this!” Mirk said in a fired up, yet happy tone. “Pirate, are you all good?”

“We’re great!” The Pirate confirmed. “Do you guys need help on your mission?”

“Thanks, but we’ve got this.” Tam said reassuringly. “Focus on Glicko for now, and we will check in on you again as soon as we can.”

“Sounds good.” The Pirate said with a smile. “Be safe my friends.”

To be continued....

Mirk, Tam, and Janet’s showdown with Lifer can be read here: https://theprose.com/post/423335/derailed-lifer-s-true-identity

A bolt of lightning streaked across the ominous, black skies. Linda hesitated, before rushing into the torrential storm. The sound of her name being called barely reached her ears, but she chose to ignore it and rush on towards a looming structure in the distance.

The icy particles pelted at her dainty skin, the drops turning into stones. Bloody weather patterns, she cursed in her mind, for a short moment thankful that she would soon be able to break away to a shore with good-tempered weather.

Suddenly, the icy particles stopped hitting her. She glanced upwards, and noticed that the skies were still pouring out all of their icy fury upon the earth. Yet, none of the hailstones hit her; they bounced away above her head.

She smiled faintly, thankful for such a caring soul that had come to love her for who she is, in her entirety. If only his presence hadn't ended up causing this rift between her and Luciana.

She reached the old tower, tripping over the first step, her face slamming onto the cold, stony surface. Her vision blurred and she lay on the wet steps, trying not to give into the impending darkness. Suddenly, warm hands wrapped around, lifting her up to her feet. She blinked, and her view slowly came back into focus, allowing her to gaze upon the face of her beloved.

His gray eyes reprimanded her, yet the smile around his lips seemed to encourage her to betterment.

“What did your parents teach you about running on slippery surfaces during a storm?” He teased, the gravelly sound of his voice pouring over her soul like a balm. “Come, let me help you. Before you break your neck and we have to postpone our plans.”

Luciana closed her eyes tightly; wishing, hoping, and praying that she would go unnoticed this time. The softness wrapping around her wrists announced to her that she had, once again, been found. She kept her hands in front of her face, waiting for the tears to sink into her skin.

“Luciana, please.” The gentle voice pleaded. She swallowed and finally allowed her hands to be slipped away from her face. Her eyes fell upon the vision of her aunt.

“You’re wet,” she stated, marvelling at the beauty of her aunt, even though her golden curls had been destroyed, her hair clung to her face, and blood was dripping from a gash above the woman’s left eye. “You’re bleeding,” she then stated.

“I fell.” Linda uttered, smiling down sweetly upon her niece.

“I know. I heard you. Sounded like you were trying to break the foundation of the tower.” The child stated solemnly.

“Hey, sunshine.” The smiling Adonis uttered from where he crouched behind Linda. Luciana’s petite nose wrinkled as her eyes spewed fire at him. “Woah. Calm those beauties, sunflower. You’ll let this whole place go up in flames.”

“As long as you end up dead.” She spat bitterly.

“Luciana...” Linda sighed and then pulled the child into her arms. “Oh, my dearest niece, Light of Hope.” The child struggled out of her grasp.

“Don’t call me that. I don’t want to be the Light of Hope. It makes me dangerous.”

“It makes you special.” Both adults quipped. The girl glared at the man again, but was interrupted by her aunt once more.

“Please, Luciana. Come with us. This is a special day for me. I wish to share it with you. Please. Let us not argue about how unique you are. Let us not argue about whether you like Loki or not. For today...celebrate with me. I am happy! I am blessed! But...” she smiled sadly, “I am blessed less so if I would allow this joy to drive a wedge between you and me.”

“I want you to be happy, Aunt Lin. But, not with that handsome snake.” She glared at him again, but finally sighed and motioned for the two to crouch backwards, allowing her to scoot out of the fireplace.

The whole room brightened up again, and she winced. If only she could lose this power. Then she would be able to run away from her fate. A fate that she could not escape now, since her aunt was leaving and abandoning her duties. The Pixies of the Light were still very needed, even though times have changed.

“There we go. Everything ends up turning out well for us.” Loki smiled, the warmth reaching his cold eyes.

“One thing.” The girl said, drawing attention back to her. She faced her nemesis, for he was just that, and he would always remain that to her. “We have to make one thing clear between us.” She stated, once again adopting her solemn tone.

“And what would that be?” He squatted in front of her.

“Nothing you do or say, can or ever will change my opinion of you.” Once more, her eyes spewed fire at him, before she turned away and rushed toward the massive entrance.

“I understand...” he muttered softly, “I guess that is my punishment for being what I am...”

“What did you say?” Linda asked, as he rose once more.

“Nothing. I was just...Mumbling some nonsense again.”

“Okay.” Her lips curved into smile, before teasing him. “As long as that mumbling nonsense wasn’t a curse being placed on my favourite niece.”

“I would never do that!” He laughed, but, this time, his eyes remained cold. Dread settled around his heart, for what he did not utter he thought, and he knew what would be the result of that.

As long as nothing happens to her today...Tomorrow, perhaps. But for today, she has to stay healthy, so that I will be able to sweep my Queen away.

April 27 is also my Birthday, interesting that I, a writer, should share the same day as National writers day, so here's a story.

"Grandma? Can you help me with this assignment? I'm supposed to interview people who lived through 2020. Would you be willing to tell me about it?"

"Well, I can tell you many many things about it, but I can tell you what dominated the year, and the following year, was pure confusion. None of the rules and laws made sense, not many people were able to trust their own government. The world was full of, and till is full of idiots and angry people."

"Grandma, isn't that one of your poems in your published book of poems?"

"Yes, it is my child. A few things were certain though. That it was real, and it was happening worldwide. the people were sick and dying."

"Where were you, Grandma?"

"Me, when they first shut down the school It was after track practice. I was talking with one of my friends when they got a text about the schools being shut down. Well, I didn't believe it. I thought that someone must be playing a joke on them. But when I asked my mother later, she said it was true."

"Wow Grandma, that's incredible."

"Here I have something to show you." She opens an old box and pulls out a mask.

"We had to wear these all the time. to school, church, and stores"

"Can I take it to school?"

"Sure, but be gentle."

Beep

The oven told her the cookies were done.

"Now go tell your friends outside that I have cookies for them."

Things change, constantly, especially in the world of 2020-2021. But, as long as the Earth is still Earth, kids will always love homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Henry clasped both of Gertrude’s hands in his. The setting sun reflected in Henry’s brown eyes, causing them to look golden. “You know, I will have to leave.”

“Henry! No!” She pulled her hands away, tears filling her eyes. “You cannot leave.” Her voice shook as she took a step back. “You won’t leave!”

Henry drew in a deep breath, searching his mind for the correct words to calm her. “It’s ok.” He took a step closer. “I have to. My parents are growing old, and living in England isn’t helping them much.”

“I’ll go with you.” She interrtupted him. “I’ll help them too.”

“You can’t.” He stroked her cheek softly. “You have to stay here with your family. I will come back.”

A tear trailed down Gertrude’s cheek. “Henry, you left once. You cannot leave again.” She swallowed a sob. “If you leave, if something happens to you-” Her voice broke off.

“Hush, Gerttie.” He handed her a handkerchief. “Everything will be fine. I won’t be leaving for a few months anways. We have plenty of time to be together.”

She gladly took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “But you know of all the attacks that have been happening, the-the-” She broke off into tears again.

Henry pulled her into a hug. “I know...the terroist attacks. But I can’t leave my parents to fend for themselves, especially now.”

Gertrude laid her head against Henry’s chest. His heartbeat made a soft thrum as silence now surrounded them. A breeze blew around them, bringing colorful leaves raining down on them. They pulled out of the hug. “Now, let’s not dwell on the future.” He sat down with her on their picnic blanket. “Let’s have fun before I leave.”

“Yes.” Gerturde smiled and pulled her coat around her.

Two months later...

The stars glistened in the sky, a light layer of snow covered the ground. Both Henry and Gertrude stood gazing into the starry night. “Henry, you really shouldn’t go.” Gertrude spoke.

“I have to.” His hand tightened around hers.

“But there was just an attack on a plane a couple weeks ago. It blew up and crashed in the ocean-” Gertrude mustered up strength to continue on. “And, no one survived.”

“I will be fine.” Henry swallowed a lump in his throat. To his own ears the words sounded like a false hope. Deep inside he was sure everything would be fine. Yet, another part of him felt something would go seriously wrong.

“How long will you be gone again?” Gertrude bit her lip, holding back another rush of tears.

“About a month, but I’ll be back before you know it.” He smiled lovingly at her. “Anyways, I thought of something.” He continued. “A phrase.. one that you can remember when you miss me.”

“I want to hear it.” Gertrude quickly replied. Her breath blew into the cold night air like smoke.

“All right.. stars shine brightest, on the darkest of nights.” He turned to face her and look her in the eyes. “Even on the hardest of days, you are still shining as bright as ever. And no matter what happens, you need to keep shining.” He carressed her cheek with his thumb.

She placed her hand on his. “Henry, please don’t act like something bad is going to happen.”

“I’m not trying to.” He whispered. “I’m just trying to let you know, whatever happens you need to keep shining.”

“I will.” She promised. “I’ll miss you.”

“I know, and I’ll miss you too.” He sighed as they headed back to their homes. “I’ll see you in the morning at the airport.” A sparkle in his told her he was up to something.

“Bye, Henry.” She waved as they went opposite directions. “See you in the morning.”

The next morning Gertrude rushed to the airport to see Henry off. Her heart was racing when she reached the airport. Unfortunately, she was not allowed after the checkpoint.

“Hey!” Henry waved pulling his suitcase inside.

Gertrude ran over to him, giving him a big hug. “Do you have everything?” She watched as he grabbed a backpack.

“Yes.” He pulled all his belongings inside and stopped out of the path where others walked. “I’m going to miss you.” He grabbed her hand. “A lot.”

Tears welled in Gertrude’s eyes. “I’ll miss you too.” She swallowed a sob.

Henry reached his other hand into his pocket. “I want to ask you something.” He pulled away from her hand.

She nodded, unable to speak as her throat tightened. Henry went down on one knee and pulled a small box. He opened it and revealed a dazzling diamond ring. “Will you marry me? I decided to ask right before I left, so you have something exciting to look forward to. And, so no other guys decide to steal my gorgeous girl while I’m gone.” He chuckled.

“Oh! Henry, I’d be honored to!” She smiled as tears from both sadness and joy spilled down her rosy cheeks.

Henry slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’ll miss you, Gerttie.” He whispered into her hair.

“I’ll miss you too.” She sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes.

He pulled away slowly and grabbed his bags. “I better head out.” He smiled at her, tears glistening in his own eyes. “I love you, Gertude Louise.”

“I love you too, Henery Thomas.” She waved as he walked away to get in a line to check in. A small sob escaped her throat. It would be a long month.

Almost 2 months later...

Gertrude flipped on the news as she sat on the couch. Henry had called earlier that day, saying that if everything went smoothly his flight would be in the afternoon. Gerturde flipped through the channels until she found the news. Her mother and father had left for a dinner out by themselves and she was home alone.

The TV’s glow glowed in the dark room. It was around 9pm that night. Henry had likely boarded the plane and taken off hours ago. Gertrude glanced at her hand and smiled. The engagement ring glittered slightly as she moved her hand. In no time, she and Henry would be married and start a family. The man speaking on the news drew her out of her thoughts. “There has been a plane crash, the cause is still to be determined, but it looks like a terrorist attack. The plan crashed into the ocean.” Gerturde grabbed the remote and turned the volume up, her heart racing.

The man continued. “There were no survivors. We are allowed to give the names of a few of the passengers who were boarded on that flight.” A list of names appeared on the TV.

Gertrude’s eyes scanned it, fear pricking her heart. Her voice whispered to no one except herself. “Josh Kars.. Larson Gates... Amelia Reston... no..” She whispered hard. “Henry Wiles.” Tears poured down her face. Henry’s name was on that list. Henry, had died in the plane crash.

“No, please no.” Gertrude sobbed as she read the screen. Tears flooded her vision as she placed her hand to her mouth, becoming a sobbing heap. She tumbled to the floor, tears pouring down her face.

Lights turned on in the house. “Darling?” Her mother’s voice called. She rushed over and pulled Gertrude close. “We just heard on the radio, I’m so so sorry.”

“He can’t be gone!” She sobbed harder. “He-he just talked to me a few hours ago.” Pain racked her chest. “He has to still be alive.”

“I’m so sorry, honey.” Her mother cried with her. Gertrude’s father came over, joining them in a hug.

“It will be ok, sweetie.” He rubbed her back as she cried.

Gertrude closed her eyes, trying to push the pain away. “I-I need to go!” She pulled away. As she stood she grabbed her coat and rushed out the door.

Her father grabbed Gertrude’s mother’s arm. “Let her go.” He whispered.

Gertrude ran in the snow, images of Henry’s face filled her mind. She slowed her pace near a snowy field. “Oh, Henry.” She cried into the night. “Why did you have to leave?”

His words floated to her mind. ”Stars shine brightest, on the darkest of nights. Whatever happens you need to keep shining.”

She wiped tears from her eyes and gazed up at the stars, shining as bright as ever. “How can I shine bright when I’m hurting?” Her eyes filled with tears again. “How can I be the brightest star, in the dark around me?” Anger surged through her chest, anger at herself, at the terroists, at the plane, even at Henry.

Gertrude sunk down into the cold snow, the brisk air took her breath away. “Why did you have to leave me? Now you’ll never come back.” She cried. No one was there to comfort her, help her with the pain. Only the brisk winter air, the snow, and silence surrounded her.

***

Henry paced the hospital waiting room, his eyes spotted the TV as the news flipped on. The man sharing the news reported a plane crashing, the plane Henry was supposed to be on. He spotted his name on the passenger list. His eyes filled with tears. “I was supposed to be on that plane.” He whispered.

He watched as more names came through. Suddenly he remembered Gertrude, the news, the call he made to her...

His heart raced as he thought about how she likely heard of what happened. He had to call her, but his phone battery was dead, the hospital phones were all busy, and he was too far from home. He ran a hand through his hair, thankful he wasn’t on the plane. Yet his heart hurt for all the other families and his heart was hurting badly for Gertrude. This news, it likely devastated her. There was nothing he could do but wait. “Stars shine brightest, on the darkest of nights.” He whispered as he took a seat in the waiting room. “Just hang in there, Gerttie. I will call you, I will be home. Everything will be ok.”

A doctor came out. “Mr. Wiles?”

“Yes.” Henry shot to his feet. “How is my father?”

“He is in critical condition right now. We are doing all we can to help him. Currently, he is in a coma. We are not sure how long it will last, but so far, his vitals are good.” The doctor continued on. “If you would like, you may stay here for the next few days. That is up to you. We will call you with any updates.”

“I’ll stay here for now.” Henry sat back down, fidgeting with his fingers. “The phone call will have to wait a little longer.” He whispered. Then shook his head. “Excuse me, but do you have a phone available?”

“Um..” The doctor checked his watch. “In a couple hours, one should be available for your use. I apologize for you needing to wait, but we have limited patient use for long distance phone calls.”

“I understand.” Henry swallowed, he would call Gertrude, as soon as possible. “Thanks.”

all you need to know is how to ask.

but how did this all begin?

well, i’ll tell you..it started one evening, when i was taking my supper at the inn. there was this guy that was passing through town. lonely merchant..got bearly enough to afford the bed for the night at Stromboli’s..

I felt sorry for him, he looked really down on his luck..so what will it hurt? i buy the guy a pint of watered-down ale...anyway.. the guy is so gratedul , he starts telling met about the blue fairy , and how he got her to do stuff for him. I didnt believe him at first, but the way he told it, and the details...well, I am a skeptic, as you know, but after a few more drinks which I bought for him, and he still kept the story straight. it got me wondering. a drunk that tells the same story, withour giing off to crazytown....

so I got him to tell me his secret, how to get her to work for him. to tell you the truth, he was thinking small. maybe that is why he got to that sad state..

me, I’m going for something more..em..substantial..

Don’t get me wrong, every case is different. you need to realize that the blue fairy is not human but not a fool either. she sees when someone is just fooling around or abusing her generosity. if you want to get things done, it needs to be something subtle.

so I started off with testing. I figured that if I wanted to acheive my goal, I need to be systemic about it. you know, take exact notes, verifiability,  reproducable results...all that good methodology stuff..

so I started with a fish. a fish is easy to carve out of wood. i fleshed out the shape, then spend time on the fine ..the really fine detail like the fins and the scales. it takes a lot of time and very sharp tools...then of course I carfully painted..., working mainly with acrylics, so they don’t fade in the water...lacquer was also an issue....I could have just baught the thing, out of a toy store, but i have my pride, I guess.. besides,  it needed to be a work that comes from the heart, or she would know in a second.

I prayed and wished, wished and prayed and the blue fairy never came. then I remembered that when the guy at the inn told me his way of summoning her, he sang some kind of song. but he was pretty drunk by that point, and it could be that he forgot the words, or couldn’t help sounding flat, when he was drunk.

so I did some research on my own. apprently there is quite a lot on blue fairies out there. if you know where to look.

from what I could gather, the song needs to be an original, and it needs to be precisely worded, to maximize effect. so no “give me! give me! give me!” stuff.

I tried to phrase the song as something that only indirectly requests her help. make it as something...well as a general right that people have, if they wish upon a star.

don’t even use conditional form, if you can help it.. use “when..” or “whenever..” and not.“if”, certainly not “unless”. you never want to make it an ultimatum.

I phrased the song also in future simple tense, “things WILL come to.you..”. that sort of thing..it implies you have no doubt that this will come to pass... you know, let the lady know you have complete confidence in her, give her an ego boost, why not?....

Of course I threw in some stuff about having a true heart, dreams coming true, that sort of thing... to make it more likeable. make her think that i was not asking for the moon, but for something that was trully innocent and good.

that’s another thing I came across in the research; that i shouldn’t ask for something that is not possible for her to do. she does magic, not miracles. think doable or not doable.

I’ll even add, that she isn’t that generous. she won’t drain herself for you, doesn’t matter how much you cry. this wish-granting thing is not her full-time..so giving life for a wooden goldfish is doable, stealing all the gold in Europe is not. too much work for her. you really should put things in her perspective a bit. if you catch her in the right mood, she may want to help, but never to such a point that it’s too much work.

I didn’t even ask for the fish to come to life in my song. just a general plea for help..

composing the song was also hard.. the blue fairy likes extended harmony, not just two- three triangle chords....that doesn’t cut it with her... no, she has higher musical standards.

it took me a long time, sitting by the piano, composing. you’ll laugh, but my voice changed a bit during this time, and I couldnt hit the high note that I wanted anymore. had to transpose the whole thing down..

so..tial and error stuff... trial and error.. I played with the words and the tune again and again. it took years. YEARS. but in the end..the wooden fish came to life. luckily, I kept record of everything i was doing..and stuck to the program.

So yeah, she came to me one night, told me that she heard my song-the one that worked and none of the rest, just so you understand what it takes.

She swished her little stick and my wooden fish became a coy, flapping helplessly in the plate I put it on...oh, i HAD a fish bowl ready, you see, but...I figured that these experiments were taking a long time..and.. if I keep the wooden fish floating on the water so long, until I figure out the song, the wood would just rot...

but  I quickly caught ‘Cleo’ and put her in the water, just in time. the fairy was gone so quickly. didn’t even stick around for my thanks. but I thanked her anyway. I am a good actor, but after all the work I put in, it was truly from the heart.

so it worked. I have proof-positive that the blue fairy would do things for me. I composed the song open-ended, so I didn’t have to make another song every time I wanted something. could you imagine having to go through all that work again?! maybe that was the problem for that guy at the inn..

next test was...emm..well... a grasshopper...yeah, i know..i sort of screwed up the proportion.. a lot of work with the carving knife, it might actually be the finest work I’ve done. A real beauty. I put it by the window, sang the song with the most schmaltz that I could muster, and she came again. she was a bit puzzled, why I needed a grasshopper..em i mean cricket..why i needed an insect if I already had a goldfish?

but this is something you need to understand about her. she does not entirely understand what we really want and why. she doesnt suspect that I was doing this as a test. “oh, well” she must have thought, “give the crazy old man another pet. he must be lonely” she waved her wand a bit and I got a large insect jumping around. this time it was even able to talk and sing!!

ha!

I guess she thought I needed the companionship.

remember:doable stuff!!

So what now eh?

well, Jiminy, I’m glad you asked. now I know how to get her to do my bidding. she has a soft spot for me, and I am really excited. all that hard work is soon going to pay up big time.

don’t get me wrong, you and Cleo are just great, but you were both just steps along the way. I am now fairly confident that I can persuade her..you know.. give her the old song and dance, make her get all fuzzy inside...and ...well, now I am getting all confused... it’s ironic, really , to think that after all this time it’s so hard to make up my mind..but ...well..I guess I better show you.

Emm..you see outside the window, Jim-Jim? emm? well there is this very tall ceder tree , much taller than the other trees here.. see it? well...I measured it a while ago, and it’s about eighty feet high. girth is about twenty at the bottom.

it’s going to be hell cutting it down, it might even kill me. but I have to try.. I’ll trim the branches, keep the big ones for extra fittings... I guess I’ll get a few donkeys and mules, pull the whole thing over here...well.., carving will take me more than a year, for sure, especially since the wood would still be moist..maybe more than a year...I am getting old.....and i can’t just wish for the fountain of youth, or something.. she DOESN’T do miracles..

but..oh well..now for the big question: this is going to be my magnum opus. my legacy...and i can’t really decide..funny right? do I want the blue fairy tow make a dragon for me or a sand-worm?

I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know. and don’t try and talk me out of it. I am not in the mood and there is so much to do..

There on a house were two coffins, side by side. There, looking blankly at the coffins were the orphaned children, who were fortunately old enough and have families already.

There on those coffins were a couple, who were discovered dead on their bed, ending about 35 years of marriage. The woman was already weak at her last years, but the man was very healthy, nursing his wife in what would their final days.

But just a few weeks earlier, the man's sister died. The man was heartbroken, as they have been very, very close all their lives. They went to the same schools, studied together at night - it was like they're twins. But of course, the man was two years older than his sister.

The man's sister had dreams of going abroad, and when an opportunity came, she grabbed it and left for the U.S.A. The man was the one who brought his sister to the airport. He didn't know that would be the last time he would see his sister in person in 30 years.

Fortunately, technology bridged the gap between them. While the two siblings were separated, they would not miss a video call every single night. Christmas, New Year, and every other day, they would get updates on each other's lives. Soon, they had their own families, but they still didn't forget to call each other at night.

But soon, they grew old. The man had been noticing his sister becoming frailer, in body and in spirit. "Why won't you try coming home," the man asked one time. His sister didn't reply.

While time passed, it was discovered that the man's wife had a disease, and the doctor estimated she would have two years to live. And when the wife's disease progressed, the man dutifully nursed his wife. They were the only ones who lived at their home, as their children left to start their own families.

This continued to be the case until one day, someone knocked at the door. "Brother," the voice called, and the man realized that what he's waiting for many, many years finally arrived. "Sister," the man exclaimed as he opened the door, surprised at her unannounced arrival. And soon, the man nursed his weak wife and sister.

Turns out, the sister's husband had died a few years after their marriage, and she was left to raise her children all alone. Fortunately, her job proved stable, as she working in an entirely new land, full of things she didn't saw back at home. And after her children grew old and started their own families, she was left to take care of herself. She was in her home, all alone, and getting weaker.

And when her children visited her one time, she took the chance to inform them that she was thinking of going back home. "They had no choice. I had a brother who will take care of me back home," the sister said of that moment.

And after 30 years, she was finally on the way home. After she stepped out of her son's car, she said goodbye for one last time. She made her way to her plane, and the next day, she was finally home.

The man spent the next days with his sister and wife, talking about their lives while drinking tea on the balcony. They went to church together, and to the hospital together. It was such a sweet sight, a man escorting two women to different places, though sometimes people mistook the man's sister as a second wife.

And then, the time came. The sister's body finally gave up, barely one year after she first stepped foot in her brother's house. She was there on the bed, her hands clasped together, and on her mouth what seemed to be a smile. She was contented, and her brother was comforted to know that.

The man and his wife put her coffin on public viewing later that day, so that the sister's children can hopefully see their mother one last time. And they did. Soon after her children were informed of their mother's death, they went to their uncle's house, and there they saw their dead mother in the coffin. "Thank you very much for taking care of her Uncle," the daughter said. "We were just too busy to even do that," added the son.

In the following days after his sister's burial, the man grew weaker, and he probably never recovered from his sister's loss. His healthy body and lively spirit soon died out, and his wife, who was already weak, grew weaker.

The man and his wife were said to be close and were reported to not have a single fight. A perfectly matched couple others said, and together they raised two good children. They would spend lots of time together, especially in their final years. And it cannot be stressed enough how devoted each was to the other, especially in the time of the wife's sickness.

And one Friday morning, when the couple was not seen drinking tea on their balcony, some concerned neighbors barged into the house, and finding them nowhere, they tried to unlock their bedroom, and were shocked at what they saw. The man and his wife were on their bed, holding hands, dead.

The couple's children organized the public viewing, and there they are today, staring blankly at the coffins of their dead parents. They still couldn't believe what happened, along with others who attended the public viewing. A few days later, those children would bury what would be the second and third coffins they would bury a span of one month.

One month later, those children were informed of another death. Their uncle, the wife's elder brother who also attended her funeral, had died of what was probably a broken heart. Unlike the man's sister, that uncle didn't pay a visit to his ailing sister in her final days, even though the siblings were also said to be close too.

In a span of one month, two people lost their parents, an aunt, and an uncle. Those people buried four coffins in that time span.