@belael said: “ you’re not lying to me ? ”
the priest’s office was a small room, tucked behind the grand golden pulpit with its great chorus of silent angels. jugs of wine lined the shelves, stale bread resting in paper bags, waiting to be torn apart on sunday morning. a bible sat on the dark wood desk, pages dogeared & leather faded, open to ecclesiastes. “ there is an appointed time for everything, & a time for everything under the heavens. a time to be born, & a time to die ; a time to plant, & a time to uproot the plant. a time to kill, & a time to heal ; a time to tear down, & a time to build… ” ( 3 : 2-3 ).
his nose was bleeding. the scarlet dripped down his chin, staining the white collar of his pressed shirt. evidence of the fight he had had with their brother not ten minutes ago. he sat, head leaned back against the priest’s chair. she had taken an alb from the narrow closet & dipped it in the baptismal font, leaning over from her seat upon the desk to dab at his face. he opened his mouth, blood seeping in to color lips. she hushed him ( trying to embody hannah’s maternal nature, foreign to her ) but his tongue would not be deterred.
“ he killed her. ” abigail stopped, cloth garment falling back to her lap.
“ james- “ halting, quiet.
“ I think he killed her. ” he sounded more sure the second time, voice gaining steel. “ I think- “
“ jamie ! ” the woman snapped, frozen in the shock of it for a moment before she stood up from the desk, cloth thrown down, a harsh breath taken in & out. back turned from him to face the stained glass window, glowing in the light of the cloud-covered sun. she had wept, earlier, looking at her sister-in-law laying in that velvet casket. looking at her blonde hair, so neatly arranged on that expensive pillow. knowing below that black dress there was a cut across her stomach. she felt that same feeling rising in her throat, a palm quickly raised to press over her mouth. willing herself to swallow it again. a slow, shaky exhale through fingers. hand fell back to her side & she turned back to him. head raised & jaw tight.
“ their marriage wasn’t perfect. no marriage is. ” & they often blamed it on the woman. the shame eating away at her chest told her that ( in her case ) they were right. “ but he wouldn’t leave his children without a mother, like we were. he wouldn’t kill her, jamie ! do you hear yourself ? “ her voice was raised into a shout, angry, half-tearful. she knew it must’ve carried into the sanctuary, into the ears of men & women paying their final respects. she had wondered, absentmindedly, how many of them thought of those front-page features when they saw her. it had not been so long ago, now. SCANDAL: HOLLYWOOD ACTOR PHOTOGRAPHED KISSING BROTHER’S WIFE !
james seed looked small & sad then, like he often had as a boy. sitting in the leather-bound chair in his bloody clothes. a child chastised. his silence was worse, the tick of the clock on the wall & the distant murmur of voices filling the small space between them. finally- “ you’re not lying to me ? ”
“ no. “ abigail shook her head, stepping quickly across the gray carpet to pull him into an embrace from where he sat. “ it was an accident. be angry at the man who did this, james. be angry at that fucking doctor- I am. ” she held him tighter, chin resting against the top of his head. “ I know you loved her. ” said softly into his dark hair. hand, out of place, touched against his cheek. “ maybe.. maybe this was god’s way of saying you weren’t supposed to. ”
vaporwave
theartofmadeline
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
jbbartram-illu
baratheonpilled
origamiaround
