Finding the Middle Ground

[tpickles]

Coming of Age

Victor awoke excited, for this was the day of his birth, the day his father would proclaim him a man. He threw off his finely woven sheets and raced to the door… but then turned and fixed his bed.

"A man does not leave his home in such a state", he recanted his father's words in his head.

Began to run again but slowed himself. He was feeling older. He heard noises in the kitchen, his father must have been preparing food. But these noises were unfamiliar so he slowed as he approached. Peering around the corner, he saw his father kneeling over something, but he couldn't make it out with the table obscuring his view. He tip-toed around and saw ... a body ... his mothers body. This could not be true, he had not seen his mother for years. His father had told him, "She just didn't understand." Which he took as an explanation only an adult would understand. But he was an adult now and this understanding still did not reach him. Perhaps she was back now and he would not have to understand.

He came around the table and ... his father was weeping, weeping over the lifeless body of his mother. Victor's eyes roamed frantically until he discovered a knife, soaked in blood. He deemed it was the blood of his mother. His father rose and looked at him.

"Victor, you should not of had to see this"
his father calmed
"Do not worry child, this can all be fixed"
his father paused
"I can show you now, now you are of age"

Victor stood stunned and his father was cautious to act until,
"I am not a child father. I can accept what has happened"
It was then that Victor noticed a deep cut in his father's arm. He regretted his words. "... You did this?"

"Victor, she attacked me. I acted before I could think"
"How did... how did this happen?"
"I can show you son. I had planned to show you on this day. This is no tragedy but a miracle. Your mother shall be with us once again"
"She will?"
"Yes Victor, now pick up her feet while I take her shoulders. We shall bring her into the cellar"

They decended into the dark room. Victor could not see at all so he followed his fathers footsteps and the pull from his mother's body. "This will do, put her here" Victor put his mother's feet down gently. It was a low stone carved table. He could feel the cold.

His father uttered something that Victor could not make out. Before he could ask the room filled with light.

"Father, what was that?"
"If that amazes you, just hold your breath for what is to happen next"

His father went to the corner of the room and opened a chest. He pulled out a small satchel and layed it next to Victor's mother. Victor could not see this next part but could tell his father was removing items from the satchel and placing them on his mother. The last item, his Father held in his hand. Victor backed up to the staircase. his father backed away from the body ... his mother. Victor could see the body had been adorned with keepsakes: items his mother had valued while she lived with them. His father brought his hands up and chanted at the body. Although he could not understand the words, they were harsh and made Victor shudder. The light around the body began to fade and the body began to tremble, as if the body had been possessed by a dark magical force and was consuming the light.

His father stopped. The body sat up.

"Mother?"