Mourning our way home - Scarlett, James
James knew that Scarlett needed her time to grieve (just like everyone else), but he also knew that it wasn't healthy for her to be as within herself as she was. Since Astrid's death Scarlett had practically moved herself into their sister's bedroom, refusing to sleep anywhere else. She surrounded herself with Astrid's things and wouldn't go anywhere or see anyone else. All that Scarlett could see was Astrid.
It had been a month and Scarlett hadn't even left the room for the purposes of transforming. She'd become wolf right there, stifling her cries from her parents downstairs and then sleeping on Astrid's bed in wolf form.
James knew something had to be done, but he didn't know what that something was. Talking to her always seemed pointless because although she wasn't catatonic, she was uninterested in anything that would remove her from that bedroom and all that was left of their sister.
"Scar," he whispered, coming to sit beside the bed. Scarlett was curled up against the headboard, crying and yet again reading Astrid's journal from the final months.
"Sometimes I think that the Great Spirit isn't watching us anymore," Scarlett read, wiping her eyes. "It has abandoned us all because we failed it. We were supposed to keep the world and we've done so much bad instead. If I was the Great Spirit sometimes I'd have trouble seeing why I loved people too."
"Take a break, Scarlett," James said gently, prying the book slowly from her hands. "You don't need to keep reading this all."
"I do," Scarlett insisted fiercely, dragging the book against her chest so he couldn't take it. "It's the only way she's still here."
"She'll always be-"
"Don't tell me 'she'll always be in our hearts'!" Scarlett shrieked, curling her body tighter. "Don't tell me that like it makes any of this better! She's dead!"
James gritted his teeth. "She is," James said, "and you know she doesn't want you to live like this. She told you not to, Scar." He didn't go so far as to say that Astrid, looking down on them from where she now was, would be disappointed in her. He'd only told Scarlett once in their lives that he was disappointed in her and it wasn't going to be today.
"Well, I can't do it," Scarlett just said. "I'm not strong enough to just be okay with all of this. Please," she said with a shake of her head. "Please just leave me alone."
James sat there and watched her for a long time but didn't say anything. Scarlett didn't say anything either and eventually James moved to his feet and left his sister there in Astrid's bed.
It had been a month and Scarlett hadn't even left the room for the purposes of transforming. She'd become wolf right there, stifling her cries from her parents downstairs and then sleeping on Astrid's bed in wolf form.
James knew something had to be done, but he didn't know what that something was. Talking to her always seemed pointless because although she wasn't catatonic, she was uninterested in anything that would remove her from that bedroom and all that was left of their sister.
"Scar," he whispered, coming to sit beside the bed. Scarlett was curled up against the headboard, crying and yet again reading Astrid's journal from the final months.
"Sometimes I think that the Great Spirit isn't watching us anymore," Scarlett read, wiping her eyes. "It has abandoned us all because we failed it. We were supposed to keep the world and we've done so much bad instead. If I was the Great Spirit sometimes I'd have trouble seeing why I loved people too."
"Take a break, Scarlett," James said gently, prying the book slowly from her hands. "You don't need to keep reading this all."
"I do," Scarlett insisted fiercely, dragging the book against her chest so he couldn't take it. "It's the only way she's still here."
"She'll always be-"
"Don't tell me 'she'll always be in our hearts'!" Scarlett shrieked, curling her body tighter. "Don't tell me that like it makes any of this better! She's dead!"
James gritted his teeth. "She is," James said, "and you know she doesn't want you to live like this. She told you not to, Scar." He didn't go so far as to say that Astrid, looking down on them from where she now was, would be disappointed in her. He'd only told Scarlett once in their lives that he was disappointed in her and it wasn't going to be today.
"Well, I can't do it," Scarlett just said. "I'm not strong enough to just be okay with all of this. Please," she said with a shake of her head. "Please just leave me alone."
James sat there and watched her for a long time but didn't say anything. Scarlett didn't say anything either and eventually James moved to his feet and left his sister there in Astrid's bed.