why?”
Chapter 22
The rosary fell from her fingers and spilled like so many beans onto the floor. She covered her face with trembling hands as grief tore itself from her body like splinters of broken glass. People passed by her and kissed her on her head and as she looked up through tear dimmed eyes at the procession of mourners they seemed as poured plaster, alabaster and immune to her suffering.
They passed by her husband’s coffin in silent procession crossing themselves as they moved. They stood in groups in the corners of the room and spoke useless words about poor Isabel and how sad and unfortunate it all was. Her children sat at her feet not wholly certain as to what was happening.
She saw them there on the floor beneath her, her daughter Luz in her white dress, a scarlet carnation clutched tightly in her hand and Rafael silently watching as the parade of stone figures passed by his dead father.
Padre Ramone knelt down in front of her and her children and kissed the crucifix he wore around his neck. The words that he spoke were cold comfort, they would not bring Eduardo back and the words would not put her and her children’s lives back together.
His utterances fell to the floor in an alphabet soup puddle, scrambled and meaningless. He stood and nodded and two men slowly shut the lid on Eduardo’s casket. Isabel took one last look upon his face as the top closed with a silent thud that made her heart stop.
Padre Ramone passed the aspergillum over the sarcophagus, tiny droplets of blessed water glistened on the wood surface and then he took the thurible and wafted the smoke of burning incense over the box containing her husband’s remains.
Then, from inside the box came a slight movement and the bier shook ever so slightly. The crowd hushed their murmurings and turned their attention to the priest who stood still. He reached out a hand ever so slowly and placed it on top of the casket and waited.
There came a second shuffling this one much stronger and the Padre withdrew his hand quickly. He looked at the pallbearers and there came a rapping sound from inside the coffin. This time the crowd gasped and moved away from the box.
Suddenly it shook so violently that it fell from the bier and smashed onto the floor. The lid began to slowly open and Eduardo’s hand appeared in the opening. The crowd was silent as the lid abruptly folded back; Eduardo bolted upright and looked around as a deathly howl emitted from his gaping maw.
The crowd screamed as one and made a run for the exits trampling over one another as they did. Eduardo grabbed the still stunned priest by the arm and bit down on it. Blood gushed from his mouth and a hunk of flesh tore from the bone.
The priest fell to the floor screaming and Eduardo pounced upon him. Isabel jumped from her seat and screamed at Eduardo to stop, he turned and looked at her with garnet eyes and smiled stiffly.
He knelt in front of her and she reached out and caressed his cold, marble cheek. He moaned and his teeth gnashed and she ran her hands through his hair. She reached down subtly for her purse and her hands found the .40 caliber hidden inside.
Eduardo looked up at her and she smiled down at him. She pulled the gun free as Eduardo bowed his head and his hands clenched her dress. She placed the gun at his temple as a lone tear rolled down her cheek and pulled the trigger. Eduardo’s body slumped to the floor and embalming fluid flowed out from his cranium.
Isabel walked over to the still stunned priest and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked at it and then followed her arm with his eyes until they met hers. She smiled at him and he slowly nodded his head and she placed the weapon at his forehead and squeezed the trigger.
His body tensed and he uttered a sigh as the projectile ripped through his brain. Isabel stood up and looked around the now empty room; empty except for her two children huddled in fear on the floor. She released the
Chapter 22
The rosary fell from her fingers and spilled like so many beans onto the floor. She covered her face with trembling hands as grief tore itself from her body like splinters of broken glass. People passed by her and kissed her on her head and as she looked up through tear dimmed eyes at the procession of mourners they seemed as poured plaster, alabaster and immune to her suffering.
They passed by her husband’s coffin in silent procession crossing themselves as they moved. They stood in groups in the corners of the room and spoke useless words about poor Isabel and how sad and unfortunate it all was. Her children sat at her feet not wholly certain as to what was happening.
She saw them there on the floor beneath her, her daughter Luz in her white dress, a scarlet carnation clutched tightly in her hand and Rafael silently watching as the parade of stone figures passed by his dead father.
Padre Ramone knelt down in front of her and her children and kissed the crucifix he wore around his neck. The words that he spoke were cold comfort, they would not bring Eduardo back and the words would not put her and her children’s lives back together.
His utterances fell to the floor in an alphabet soup puddle, scrambled and meaningless. He stood and nodded and two men slowly shut the lid on Eduardo’s casket. Isabel took one last look upon his face as the top closed with a silent thud that made her heart stop.
Padre Ramone passed the aspergillum over the sarcophagus, tiny droplets of blessed water glistened on the wood surface and then he took the thurible and wafted the smoke of burning incense over the box containing her husband’s remains.
Then, from inside the box came a slight movement and the bier shook ever so slightly. The crowd hushed their murmurings and turned their attention to the priest who stood still. He reached out a hand ever so slowly and placed it on top of the casket and waited.
There came a second shuffling this one much stronger and the Padre withdrew his hand quickly. He looked at the pallbearers and there came a rapping sound from inside the coffin. This time the crowd gasped and moved away from the box.
Suddenly it shook so violently that it fell from the bier and smashed onto the floor. The lid began to slowly open and Eduardo’s hand appeared in the opening. The crowd was silent as the lid abruptly folded back; Eduardo bolted upright and looked around as a deathly howl emitted from his gaping maw.
The crowd screamed as one and made a run for the exits trampling over one another as they did. Eduardo grabbed the still stunned priest by the arm and bit down on it. Blood gushed from his mouth and a hunk of flesh tore from the bone.
The priest fell to the floor screaming and Eduardo pounced upon him. Isabel jumped from her seat and screamed at Eduardo to stop, he turned and looked at her with garnet eyes and smiled stiffly.
He knelt in front of her and she reached out and caressed his cold, marble cheek. He moaned and his teeth gnashed and she ran her hands through his hair. She reached down subtly for her purse and her hands found the .40 caliber hidden inside.
Eduardo looked up at her and she smiled down at him. She pulled the gun free as Eduardo bowed his head and his hands clenched her dress. She placed the gun at his temple as a lone tear rolled down her cheek and pulled the trigger. Eduardo’s body slumped to the floor and embalming fluid flowed out from his cranium.
Isabel walked over to the still stunned priest and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked at it and then followed her arm with his eyes until they met hers. She smiled at him and he slowly nodded his head and she placed the weapon at his forehead and squeezed the trigger.
His body tensed and he uttered a sigh as the projectile ripped through his brain. Isabel stood up and looked around the now empty room; empty except for her two children huddled in fear on the floor. She released the
Similar Books
