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tamingthemuseI'll add a header later on. I'm way too tired to do that now...
"Grandma...," Pearl's voice broke as the tender word escaped her.
The old woman opened her eyes and offered a smile at her grand child.
"They told me they don't... they...," the word wouldn't come.
The woman lifted her hand painfully from her bed, trying to reach her grand daughter. Pearl grabbed the hands in hers, her lips trembling and her eyes filled with tears she didn't want to have to let go of.
"It's alright love..." Her grand mother voice was cranking and low, so low Pearl had trouble hearing it.
"But...," she started. The older woman shook her head slightly to stop her. Pearl bit her lip hard to keep the words of protest inside of her.
"The necklace..."
One of Pearl's hand unconsciously went to grad the chain around her neck. Her grand mother smiled at the gesture.
"Keep it close." She coughed, the words obviously causing her pain. "Remember to travel." The old woman closed her eyes.
"I will," answered the young woman softly. She wanted to close her eyes and remember when her grand mother had still been alright, when Pearl had thought there was still hope but when her the older woman had known better and had passed the necklace on to her. It had been a happier time for Pearl, a time of hope. She didn't close her eyes though and kept them focus on her grand mother. Her breathing was becoming slower with every passing second.
Her lips trembled again but she bit them hard, tasting blood in her mouth. But she didn't care. She didn't want to cry and admit the doctors were right, acknowledge that it was the end and that soon, very soon, she would be alone.
"Grandma..." She felt the hand inside of hers move in response. Still here.
---*---
Hours later Pearl was still sitting next to her grand mother's bed, hand enlaced in her grand mother's. Her gaze was fixed on the older woman, watching every breath she took, wishing they couldn't infuse life back in her instead of giving her such pain.
Suddenly the older woman opened her eyes and looked lovingly to her grand child, smiling her warmest smile to her. Pearl opened her mouth, expecting her grand mother to be miraculously cured, ready to exclaim her joy. But the older woman took on last breath and her head tilted to the side, her body resting still, her hand becoming still, so very still in Pearl's hands.
No sound came out of Pearl's mouth.
She stood still, as if it was a game, a trick. Time had frozen and as soon as it would start again her grand mother would breath again. She simply had to stay still, very very still.
A flame flickered in Pearl's side vision and suddenly tears started to fall down her cheeks, her hands pressed her grand mother hand even harder.
"No!" The painful cry escaped through her throat, broken and raw, and her entire body started to shook as the door to the room opened. But Pearl didn't hear it, didn't feel the hands on her shoulder, didn't hear the voices around her, didn't see the bodies moving. She was alone, all alone. There was no one to love her anymore, nowhere to go any longer, nothing to do. Nothing.
She felt her body collapsed on the bed next to her grand mother and she clang to her body. She wouldn't let them take her away, not yet. Not while she was still warm.<\lj-cut>
"Grandma...," Pearl's voice broke as the tender word escaped her.
The old woman opened her eyes and offered a smile at her grand child.
"They told me they don't... they...," the word wouldn't come.
The woman lifted her hand painfully from her bed, trying to reach her grand daughter. Pearl grabbed the hands in hers, her lips trembling and her eyes filled with tears she didn't want to have to let go of.
"It's alright love..." Her grand mother voice was cranking and low, so low Pearl had trouble hearing it.
"But...," she started. The older woman shook her head slightly to stop her. Pearl bit her lip hard to keep the words of protest inside of her.
"The necklace..."
One of Pearl's hand unconsciously went to grad the chain around her neck. Her grand mother smiled at the gesture.
"Keep it close." She coughed, the words obviously causing her pain. "Remember to travel." The old woman closed her eyes.
"I will," answered the young woman softly. She wanted to close her eyes and remember when her grand mother had still been alright, when Pearl had thought there was still hope but when her the older woman had known better and had passed the necklace on to her. It had been a happier time for Pearl, a time of hope. She didn't close her eyes though and kept them focus on her grand mother. Her breathing was becoming slower with every passing second.
Her lips trembled again but she bit them hard, tasting blood in her mouth. But she didn't care. She didn't want to cry and admit the doctors were right, acknowledge that it was the end and that soon, very soon, she would be alone.
"Grandma..." She felt the hand inside of hers move in response. Still here.
---*---
Hours later Pearl was still sitting next to her grand mother's bed, hand enlaced in her grand mother's. Her gaze was fixed on the older woman, watching every breath she took, wishing they couldn't infuse life back in her instead of giving her such pain.
Suddenly the older woman opened her eyes and looked lovingly to her grand child, smiling her warmest smile to her. Pearl opened her mouth, expecting her grand mother to be miraculously cured, ready to exclaim her joy. But the older woman took on last breath and her head tilted to the side, her body resting still, her hand becoming still, so very still in Pearl's hands.
No sound came out of Pearl's mouth.
She stood still, as if it was a game, a trick. Time had frozen and as soon as it would start again her grand mother would breath again. She simply had to stay still, very very still.
A flame flickered in Pearl's side vision and suddenly tears started to fall down her cheeks, her hands pressed her grand mother hand even harder.
"No!" The painful cry escaped through her throat, broken and raw, and her entire body started to shook as the door to the room opened. But Pearl didn't hear it, didn't feel the hands on her shoulder, didn't hear the voices around her, didn't see the bodies moving. She was alone, all alone. There was no one to love her anymore, nowhere to go any longer, nothing to do. Nothing.
She felt her body collapsed on the bed next to her grand mother and she clang to her body. She wouldn't let them take her away, not yet. Not while she was still warm.<\lj-cut>
