Death Lingers in the Morning Air-The Sequel

         If you couldn't tell, I have been pretty busy recently and not in the mood to write.  This is the beginning of a sequel I started writing awhile back for Death Lingers in the Morning Air.  Anyway, enjoy this little tidbit. 

Soup was in the pot.  Bread was in the oven.  The house had been scrubbed and dusted until it shone.  There was no more work for her to do to drown the sorrow out of her soul.   Helen sat down by the table and buried her face in her hands and cried.  Oh, why, my little girl, why did you go?  Why did you do what you did?  The tears, the grief, were more than Helen could bear.  Cassie, her flower, was gone.  Helen had watched with wide eyes as her daughter had escaped death and fled into the forest.  Was she still alive?  Where had she gone to?  The woods were a dangerous place, a place to be feared and avoided. 

“Helen.”  A shadow from the doorway darkened the room.

Raising her head took effort.  It felt heavy and stuffed with cotton.  Her mouth was dry, her face was wet.  “Yes?”   Annie was a good friend.  One of the few that still talked with her.

Annie sat down beside Helen and gently rubbed her shoulder.  “How are you doing?

“Surviving.”  Helen tried to smile, but it collapsed, and more tears spilled down her face.  “Annie, do you think she is alright?  Do you think she is safe?  The woods, they are so-“

“Helen, you must not dwell on Cassie.  It will only drag you down.  You must seal her off from your thoughts.  She is dead to our world now.”

The words were hard and cruel, but Helen knew they were true.  If Cassie returned, death would await her.  The Teachers and the Master were very bitter over what had happened.  They would kill her without a second thought.

“Yes, you are right,” Helen nodded with resolution, “I must forget about her.  I will forget about her.  I have no other choice.”