The Goth Family: Chapter 5 A Growing Family

Cornelia’s POV

Ever since we were kids and Agnes first showed signs of being a witch I have been jealous of her.  Being a witch in my family means you possess a great power and also granted a longer life.  Something to do with magic prolonging life, I didn’t really listen when mum told us.  It wasn’t until we got older that it started to bother me more.  As I got older my body started to show signs of aging. Graying hair, wrinkles but Agnes still looked so young and beautiful. It just didn’t seem fair and I shut her out because of it.  I just couldn’t bear to look at her.  My jealously caused our relationship to break down.

For a while things seemed fine.  We went our separate ways and both found love.  Agnes met Erik and I married Gunther.  Admittedly my marriage to Gunther was pre-arranged by our parents.  It wasn’t until Erik’s unfortunate accident that I had any substantial contact with my sister.  Yes I had been civil and remembered birthdays and things but I had tried to maintain a distance from her.  After Erik’s death I tried to reconnect with Agnes and improve our relationship.  However, in return she lashed out at me.  She shut herself away from the world and I let her. It was in anger and frustration that made me avoid her even more than before.

Then came the pregnancy, I wasn’t about to let my only sister go through that alone so I urged her to move in with me.  Being older and hopefully wiser I realised it was silly to be jealous.  Especially with Mortimer’s disappearance.   That made me realise that no one will be here forever and despite her longer lifespan there is no guarantee Agnes will outlive me.

While I was having a rare moment to myself thinking about all this I heard Agnes calling for me.  Her tone sounded urgent so I hurried upstairs to find her clutching her stomach

“The baby’s coming” She said in a strained voice.

We soon discovered it was too late to get Agnes to the hospital so I helped her get onto the bed.  With my help Agnes gave birth to two beautiful baby girls.  I was glad Gunther wasn’t around, he would have been useless but then men usually are in these situations.

Agnes told me she was grateful I was there.  Despite our differences in the past she is still my sister, I couldn’t very well walk away when she needed my help.  Plus I got to see my nieces come into the world, it was such a lovely moment.

After it was over and the girls had been born I left Agnes to rest while I cleaned them up.  I wrapped them in pink blankets that I had bought, since I had been with her at the scans I knew she was having girls.

“Have you decided on names yet?” I asked as I handed her one of the girls.

“This one is Bianca” Agnes said looking down at the sleeping bundle in her arms.  “The other one is Alice.”

I knew Bianca was an old family name and Agnes told me that Alice is the name of a character from her favourite book.

After we had all had cuddles with the girls I put them in the newly finished nursery while Agnes rested.  I am quiet pleased with how it turned out. Gunther was not very happy to start with as this was his old study. Grumpy old sod hasn’t used it in years, he just doesn’t like change.  

Speaking of Gunther not long after Bianca and Alice were born Gunther fell ill.  His doctor was called out but the cause of his illness is still a mystery. All we know is that he is very weak and has strange bite marks on his neck.  The doctor suspects an it’s the bite of an insect or something.  I saw the look on the doctor’s face when he examined Gunther, like he was scared.  Why wouldn’t he tell me what he really thought? All I wanted to know was what was wrong with my husband and could it be cured?

The doctor prescribed some pain killers to make Gunther more comfortable but the prognosis was not good.  If Gunther continued to get weaker he might not have long left.  With Mortimer still missing this was not what I needed to hear right now.  I couldn’t bear the thought of loosing my husband as well as my son.  Gunther as usual was thinking more of more practical matters. The issue of who would run the estate after his death was something we could no longer afford to put off.

Both Gunther and I knew there was not a lot of choice left.  His older sister, Frieda had died without having children as had his uncle Samuel.  I soon worked out Gunther was the last Goth left alive.

“There must be someone” I said desperately.  “We can’t let this place be sold to some stranger.”

Gunther sighed and readjusted himself.  “There is someone else, another Goth”

As he spoke Gunther handed me a scrap of paper with a name and a phone number on it.

“I have already spoken to our solicitor and explained everything.” Gunther explained gently

“This is your heir?” I guessed before he could continue.

Gunther nodded and laid back on his pillows.  “Could you invite them over please.  One day next week should be fine. I want to explain everything in person.”

Gunther fell asleep after giving me that last request.  I smiled gently, covered him up and quietly left the room still holding the scrap of paper in my hand.  Looking for somewhere quiet where I would not be disturbed I found myself in the kitchen.  It was getting late but I knew if I left it till morning I would find reasons to put it off even longer.

Sighing I grabbed my phone from where it was sitting on the counter charging and dialled the number.  This is for Gunther, I kept telling myself.

“Hello?”

“Yes, Hello.  My name is Cornelia Goth I am calling on behalf of my husband Gunther.”

 

 

The Goth Family: Chapter 4

Do you know what’s worse than being stuck as a ghost for a long enough time to make it feel like the world has left you behind? Not being able to remember what your life was like before that. All I can recall is a blinding flash and when I woke up I was a ghost.  Before that my mind is a blank.  Who was I? What did I do? How did I die? Is there anyone alive who misses me? I know my name at least, it is written on my tombstone after all.  Lolita Goth, as for everything else well your guess is as good as mine.

One thing that strikes me as odd is why I am buried in the grounds of this house.  All the other people buried here have familial connections to the current residents of the house.  I don’t feel any such connection to them.  Then again since I have no memory of my waking life so I could very well be related to them.

Since I seem to be bound to this property I spent many a night of the years wandering it’s many rooms in the hope of finding a clue to who I was but found nothing.  As the years passed I began to loose hope of ever finding out the truth.  Most nights now I spend my time watching the family that lives here.  They seem like nice people so I am sure they won’t mind.

The couple that lived here are quite old now.  They have recently suffered the loss of their only son.  He went missing a couple of weeks ago now.  I saw what happen to him but of course I can’t tell them that.  After all they can’t even see me.  The kid seemed nice so I am hoping as much as they do that he returns safely.

On one of my nightly wanderings around the house I heard voices in the kitchen.  I floated down to hear what was being said when I heard me name mentioned.

“I’m glad we decided to redecorate” the woman said. Cornelia I think they call her.  “Makes the house seem new again.”

“We will have new additions to the family soon” the man pointed out.  Gunther if I recall correctly.

“Speaking of my sister, where is she?” Cornelia asked.  “resting I hope”

“I think Agnes went outside.” Gunther told her.  “To the graveyard.”

“Lolita again” Cornelia said slightly annoyed.  Gunther had told her the same story he had told Agnes, that I was his first wife.  Was this who I had been? “Why do you keep her here?”

Gunther looked out of the window and sighed sadly.  “I keep her in the hope that one day I will truly remember who she was.” he confessed.

So Gunther wasn’t 100% sure either.  Why would he go around telling people I had been his wife if he wasn’t really certain.  I mean how on earth can you not know who you were married to.  Surely there would have been a record of such an event?  Why hadn’t anyone looked into it? Was he that honest a person that everyone just took his word for it?

Cornelia and Gunther’s conversation started to bore me so I left the kitchen and wandered the downstairs for a bit.

“Um hello?” a woman asked as I floated into the dining room.  I looked around me but there was no other living beings in here.  Surely she couldn’t see me?

“Do you mean me?” I asked curious to know if she was indeed talking to me.  There is this strange device these people talk into a lot so I thought she might have been talking into one of those.

The woman walked over to me.  “Please don’t leave.” she said.  “I just want to talk.”

“You can see me?” I asked “How is that possible?”

The woman smiled warmly “My mother told me it’s a gift our family has.  Every member of my family has the ability to see ghosts.”  She explained.  “It’s why my sister wants the graveyard removed.  She can’t bear ghosts.”

Suddenly I felt guilty about all the times I had been in Cornelia’s presence.  If I had known this previously I would have left her alone.  The last thing I wanted to do was upset anyone.

“You’re Lolita, aren’t you?” she asked.  “I’m Agnes”

“It’s nice to meet you Agnes” I said shaking her hand.  Touching a living person felt strange, it’s not something I have done before.

“Is it true you were Gunther’s wife?” she asked.

I looked at her sadly “I don’t know.” I answered truthfully.  “I have no memories of my life when I was alive.”

“I’ve read about this” Agnes told me with sudden enthusiasm.  “It’s rare but in cases of unnatural death memory can be affected.”

This intrigued me. After all I was a lot younger in appearance to the other people in the graveyard and I was yellow whereas the others were grey in colour.

“Is there any way to restore my memory?” I asked.

“There is one way I know that has potential to work.” Agnes told me.  “It’s something I thought about attempting with someone I lost.  Until that is I realised I would have been doing it for the wrong reasons.”

“What’s that?” I asked.  The hope that had once deserted me came back.

“Something you have to be certain that you want.” Agnes explained.  “It’s kind of a one time thing but I can bring you back to life.  I have read about cases where a witch like myself has restored life to a ghost and over time their lost memories came back.”

Is that really what I wanted, to live again? What if I didn’t like what I remembered? I was certain that I had been a ghost long enough that everyone I would have known would be gone too.  What would I do with another chance? This was not a decision to be taken lightly. I told Agnes I needed time to think about this about returned to my grave.

Authors note: Shorter than I had originally planned but this felt like a good place to stop.  Next chapter coming very soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Goth Family: Chapter 1

It’s been almost a year since Erik died, I still can’t quite believe it. To make it worse he died on our honeymoon.  We had only just begun our journey together.  There were so many things we wanted to do, so much we dreamt of achieving.  None of that would happen now, well not together at least.

This morning I find myself standing in front of Erik’s grave, something that has become part of my daily routine.  Most mornings I sit here and tell Erik what’s been going on in my life which I have to admit is usually very little.  Well to be honest I used to sit when there was a bench here.  It was something I have had for a long time, might have been my mother’s actually. Anyway the wood was in a very poor state and was unsuitable for use so I had to take it to the junkyard.  I was going to get a new one but I saw the fountain, liked it so I bought that instead.  Wow that is really not like me acting on impulse like that.   So as I was saying I stand in front of Erik’s grave now.  I am not one for sitting on the ground, some people enjoy that sort of thing I know but not me.

I looked at Erik’s grave and sighed deeply.  This was harder than I had thought.  “Erik, I hope I find you well? I have come to tell you something important today.  After hiding away from the world for so long it is time for me to get my life back on track.  It was last night that I realised I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone.  I’ve spent too long shutting people out and wallowing in my grief.  Yes I miss you more than anything and I always will but I can’t keep putting my own life on hold.  I know you wouldn’t want me to do that.”

Shutting people out, I had gotten so used to spending my days in solitude that I had forgotten I did that.  Directly after Erik’s death I have shut myself away from everyone including Cornelia, my sister.  Looking back I am ashamed to say I was jealous, it didn’t seem fair that she still had her husband and son both very much alive when I had nothing.  Things have improved in recent weeks but our relationship is still not what it was. Erik’s death was a hard time for me and I was hurting a lot but I should never have taken it out on Cornelia. Although I am beginning to think there was more to the relationship with my sister breaking down than just Erik’s death but I’m not ready to talk about that yet.  Still trying to figure things out with that myself.

My days since his death have all been fairly similar I wake up, get washed and dressed, go talk to Erik, have breakfast then go down into the basement to study alchemy.  Yes you did hear that correctly, you see soon after Erik’s death I heard that there might be a way to bring Erik back using alchemy.  As a result I brought every book on the subject that I could find.  Despite all the studying I have done though I have yet to find any mention of a way to bring back the dead.  I am beginning to realise that whoever it was who told me about it was just trying to make me feel better.

Today was going to be different.  There would be no hiding in the house for me anymore. It was high time to get my life back on track.  First thing I did was fire up the computer and apply for a journalism job at Doo Peas Corporate Towers.  It has been a long held dream of mind to work in journalism.  With that out of the way I drove to the salon. I felt a change of style was long overdue.  

The woman in the salon, though dressed a bit oddly was actually very friendly and helpful.  She listened to what I said and told me her ideas.  Emma was her name I think.

“I don’t want anything too over the top” I told her “Just an update on what’s already there.”

“Sure no probs” The Emma told me.  “Let me see, well you have great hair so a simple restyle should sort things out there.  As for your outfit.  I have something new in you can try.  It’s of similar style to what you’re wearing.”

I gave Emma the go ahead and grinning she got to work.  It felt good to do something for myself like this, it had been too long.

When Emma had finished I stood in front of the mirror again.  I could hardly believe the what I saw, was that me? Yes I was still wearing black but that’s OK.  What I couldn’t get over was how much younger I looked.

The neckline on the blouse was more daring than I would have chosen myself.  I smiled as I imagined the look on Cornelia’s face when she saw me wearing this.  It was worth keeping it just for that!

A feeling of dread came over me at that moment.  That was where I needed to head next.  It was time we sat down and had a long talk.  We needed to get things sorted out between us. Sighing I turned away from the mirror and made my way out of the salon.

It is only a short drive to Goth Manor from the salon and it isn’t long before I find myself heading towards the front door.  Goth Manor has been in Gunther’s family for generations and has had little alteration done on it.  In my opinion it is showing it’s age.  It is definitely looking tired.

As it turns out Cornelia wasn’t at home, her son Mortimer greeted me instead.  I can’t help but wonder who leaves a child of his age home alone?

“It’s great to see you Aunt Agnes.” The boy tells me with great enthusiasm.  “Are you feeling happier now?”

Such a sweet boy.  Mortimer was of course referring to my immense sadness over Erik’s passing.  From what I remember Cornelia telling me Mortimer spends a lot of time with a girl called Bella.  I have heard of the girl and her family and it seems she is a good influence on my nephew.  Her kind nature has definitely rubbed off on him.

Mortimer asks me if I can stay for a while.  “It gets so lonely sometimes” he tells me.  “Mum & Dad seem to always be working. Can you stay a while?”

“Of course” I reassure him. “Anything for my favourite nephew.”

“Thanks Auntie” Mortimer grins and he gives me a big hug as thanks.  Just that one small act has made me feel so much better.  It was nice to see the kid actually, he is always a ray of sunshine in my dark and lonely world.

After sitting with Mortimer for a while and helping him with his homework I heard someone approach the house.  I got up and looked out of the window hoping to see Cornelia.

“Agnes” Gunther said with mild surprise. “You’re looking better. Can I ask why you are here?”

I smiled politely. While I had nothing against my sister’s husband we have never really talked all that much.  Cornelia usually makes sure of that, she has always seen any woman even myself as a threat to her hold on Gunther.

“I came to talk to Cornelia.” I explained. “There are obviously still issues the pair of us need to address.”

“I’m afraid she is still working.” Gunther told me with a friendly smile. He appears to have had his hair cut shorter and has gotten rid of that stupid hat.  I for one think he looks better for it.

Gunther made us tea and we talked for quite a while.  Mortimer excused himself and disappeared upstairs.

“You know Mortimer is always welcome to come visit me after school.” I suggested.  “I can’t bear the thought of the poor thing in this big house all alone.”

“That is very kind” Gunther said, “I will let him know.”

Gunther turned and looked out of the window.  A sad expression appeared on his face.  For a moment I thought he was missing Cornelia but then he looked at me again.

“I imagine Cornelia has told you about Lolita?” He said suddenly.

Yes she had but only what she wanted me to know.  That Lolita was Gunther’s first wife who died in a tragic accident involving a faulty appliance shortly after the wedding.

“A little.” I confessed “I know she was your wife.”

“Lolita was more than just my wife.” Gunther said sadly. “She was my first love.   Loosing her was the worst day of my life.”

After Gunther finished his story I asked if I could see her grave.  Gunther said I could and I went outside.  I hadn’t realised Gunther and I had been talking for so long, it was already dark when I walked to the graveyard.  Lolita’s grave was easy to find, it was the only one with flowers on it.  Clearly Lolita meant a lot to Gunther, in a way looking at her grave reminded me of Erik’s.

I went home that evening feeling a lot better about things.  Although I hadn’t managed to talk to Cornelia, I felt my relationship with my brother-in-law had improved greatly.  Clearly neither of us realised just how much we had in common.  Gunther had even joked that maybe he’d married the wrong sister.  That was something I quickly pushed out of my head.  Despite my relationship with my sister not being on the best of terms I would never steal her husband.  The one thing I prayed for though was that Cornelia didn’t find out about my talk with Gunther.  Knowing how jealous she can be that would not help mend things between us.