June 19th. - Late Evening - 10:16 PM
After the chaos at the hospital had settled down, Terry took Rinn back home. The house felt empty without Meredith there doing some cooking or cleaning or something or another. Both men couldn't find words to say to one another so they just silently milled about. Terry sat on the couch, picking up a picture of Meredith and Rinn when he was a boy and just stared at it.
Rinn trudged to his room, numb until he got in and shut the door behind him. He leaned back against the door and slid down it until he was sitting before he started crying again. He didn't bother covering his face as he had in the hospital...who was here that could see now? No one...he was alone and that feeling was crushing him.
Death and Her had followed her brother and Terry home halfway there from the hospital. They had been silent the whole entire walk. Once the two were inside, she ghosted her way through the door, and through the walls, insubstantial and unheeded by that which would stop her if she was still alive. She followed her brother all the way into his room.
It took a couple of moments before she was joined by Death, the look on the woman's face a touch somber. Cat's eyes slid her way, before they returned to the crumpled form of her brother, the way he sobbed and the way it shook his shoulders. His grief was raw, and it hurt to watch, but she watched it regardless. Stuck, and certain that she would be unable to offer any comfort to her brother, she crouched before him, reached out to rest her hand on his head.
"Your brother..." Death began, then quieted with the look that she received from the warlock.
"He's hurting. Because of me. Because I couldn't stop what I had been expecting all along. My mother's dead, and I'm dead, and he has to go on, Terry has to go on without the both of us. All because we were blindsided."
"I am sorry..."
"....Not that it matters anymore." Bitterly were the words spoken, while her attention came back to her brother.
The young man hiccuped then made an annoyed sound at the pathetic sound, wiping at his face but it seemed a fresh thought came to his mind and he dissolved into sobs again, crawling forward and laying on his belly, hiding his head in his folded arms. His shoulders shook from his sobs of anguish and anger. He was mad at not being able to say goodbye, at the demon for not being there to protect them and at himself for suggesting the dinner out.
There was no comfort she could offer, nothing that could ease his sobs, and the stabs of blame that followed each one with her line of reasoning. The warlock's fingers moved, as if she were trying to ruffle Rinn's hair before she gave up. She was silent as he sank down onto the floor completely, and soon enough, she was sinking down as well so that she was seated on her butt, her legs crossed.
"What frustrates me most is that he can't see me. No one can. I just... I want to be able to talk to him."
"The after life is good for such frustrations." This was mused as the warlock scowled.
"Yeah, well it sucks. What good is it that he doesn't even know I'm here."
"None." She rolled her shoulders. "It doesn't work that way."
She hunched her shoulders, and laid her hand on her brother's back as he sobbed.
He stayed there for a few moments before he pushed himself to his hands and knees and crawled a few feet before standing and wiping his face. He stood in the centre of his room for a moment before he went to his door and opened it carefully, not wanting to make any sound.
Rinn then slunk out of his room and headed to the bathroom, quietly shutting the door there. He leaned his hands on either side of the sink and looked at himself in the mirror a moment before opening the cabinet. He then began looking for something, anything to stop the sadness.
When Rinn moved to sit up, her hand completely passed through him. Silent, she stared at it for a moment. then sighed. Both her and Death watched him sneak his way out of his room.
"Where is he going?"
"I'm not sure... I-" She trailed off, then moved, onto her own feet. Then she was moving to follow after her brother, mildly concerned. Though her steps slowed when she spotted where her brother had disappeared. Not wanting to intrude on him, her steps faltered, then changed course, carrying her back out to the living room where Terry sat. Sadness pulled at her own features.
There had been no change in the older man. He was just sitting and looking at the picture. He had added another one to his hand though, an old photo of Meredith, him and Zynn as a toddler, the baby in Meredith's arms must have been Phinn. They all looked happy in it...a time before everything went to hell.
"...I'm sorry..." Terry murmured to the photo because no one else was there of course, "...I should have done more...I-I don't know what...but I'm sure there was something I could have done..." He swallowed the lump in his throat a few times, "...I could have found another witch or...or maybe someone else here that could have helped Zynn destroy Beleth...it wasn't enough and now....now you're both gone...." He sighed, closing his eyes as tears dribbled down his cheeks.
Her brother she let have her privacy, and instead, moved closer, attention going first to the picture in the Man's hands, then to his face. It wasn't until he started speaking that her gaze fell to her feet, and her guilt burned through her once again.
"He blames himself."
"He's not at fault here, not ultimately."
"No, you are."
"Thanks for that reminder." Dryly, before finally her eyes ticked back up to Terry's face. Her fingers reached out, ghosted along his shoulder.
"You don't know how much I wish I could take it all back. I messed up so bad." The words were for Terry, but she expected no response.
He flinched when she touched his shoulder, turning sideways on the couch and dropping the photos a moment. His eyes flicked wildly in front of him, he couldn't see her but he had most certainly felt something.
He looked down to the photo then back to the space beside him on the couch, swallowing before speaking, "Merry?" He sounded so hopeful but he caught the last few words in a sort of whisper, "No.....Zynn....Zynnara?"
Surprise shifted across the warlock's face when he jumped at her touch, and searched before him wildly. There was something heartbreaking in the way he had spoken her mother's name so hopefully, but she pushed it away, her attention coming to focus on him completely.
"Zynnara." It was confirmed softly, before her hand moved to rest on his delicately. "I'm sorry." The words were spoken gently, her eyes moved to find his face and watch it.
Quiet, and intent on leaving them be, Death faded away. There were things that called for her attention.
He couldn't see but he could feel the strange chill in the air at the ghostly touch and hear the voice, like a distant echo on the wind. Terry had to strain to hear it. His lower lip trembled a moment, "...I wish that I had never been set free....then Beleth wouldn't have done what he did...Merry and Rinn would have survived with you to protect them from me...but he would have been contained....You should have killed me back then...as soon as you could have, you should have." He murmured, "I'm sorry, Zynnara..."
"No." This was said fiercely, and for a moment, the chill in the air may have dropped a couple degrees, before it faded. Sorrow colored her features, and for a moment it looked as if she were going to burst into tears.
"Not your fault. And... I'm glad to have known you... and not just the demon." Silence pervaded as she shifted, "I failed everyone. Rinn. You. My mother. Gothrak. I couldn't do the one thing I swore I would, and we both paid the price for it."
He frowned a little, not able to get most of it. He sighed and closed his eyes again, silent for a few moments before he opened them again, looking at his hand where she had touched, "...Is...Meredith with you? Or...did she pass on or something?..."
His question made her give a sad sigh, while her shoulders slumped. "I don't know." Simply came her response.
His lower lip trembled a bit before he bit it and heaved a sigh, "...Probably then....she deserved peace..." Terry closed his eyes again, "You should pass on too, Zynnara....what's done is done....you did all that you could."
"She did." A soft sound followed. At that, she shook her head. "I am not... ready yet. Still have things to do." It sounded just like her, to be stubborn on all things, even death.
He gave a faint smile, thinking just that before he sighed and nodded, "...Do what you have to do...but...don't get stuck, okay?....you deserve peace too...you don't need to fight anymore." Terry murmured.
"I'm always fighting." It was said softly, before he would feel her presence meld away. She reappeared outside the bathroom, her concern for her brother returning. Instead of entering though, she listened closely.
There were no sounds....not even sniffles.
That was enough for alarm. Without hesitations, she moved, passing through the door. "Rinn?" Instinctively she called his name, not caring if he could hear.
As if she hadn't seen enough blood today, there was more greeting her on the other side of the door. Rinn had broken apart a razor and was cutting at his wrists, a three different pill bottles lay empty on the floor. He didn't know if the concoction of pills would do anything...but if it didn't, he was sure his slashing would.
She stared for a moment, before she moved, fuel by panic and fear, Her hand moved to swipe at his hand... Before she turned, took two steps and was gone.....And before Terry again. "Quick. Rinn. Bathroom, Now. Please. No more."
Terry had picked up the pictures in the short time she had gone and set them on the coffee table. He flinched at hearing the unexpected voice of his lost family then frowned, making some of it out...her panic making it harder to understand, "Rinn?" Was all he could really understand but he got the hint to go check on him, "Rinn?" Terry called as he made his way to the stairs.
He saw the bathroom door closed and headed that way, giving a couple of short knocks, "...Rinn?...is...everything alright?" He asked softly and was responded to with a 'go away' from the boy.
She followed closely on Terry's heels. The response that came from Rinn merely had her urging him more. "Don't. He needs you. Please. Do what I can't any more."
His brow furrowed before he nodded and grabbed at the door knob. It was locked. He winced and jiggled it a bit, "Rinn, son, open the door." He was greeted with another 'go away'.
Terry didn't want to yell at Rinn, he didn't want to make things worse...but he was getting more concerned about what the boy was doing, "Rinn....I know it hurts..." He swallowed hard and murmured, "...You aren't alone there...We both lost them....please, Rinn...Please open the door....I don't want to have to bury anymore family....please." He struggled.
Surprisingly enough, the stubborn teen stood rather than sitting on the toilet seat...he didn't open the door though, but he did look at it like he wasn't sure what to do.
She moved again, passing through Terry and the door both, onto the other side of the door with Rinn. She hovered about her brother, "Open the door. Please, You don't have to join us. You can still get married and fall in love and have a family. You can't die. Not tonight, not like this. Please." She begged, perhaps all for naught, but she begged regardless.
Rinn frowned a little, looking confused. He'd shared the same torment as his father, though not for as long, he had been touched by the supernatural as well. He could feel something urging him to open the door....to not throw his life away like this. He shook his head and looked to the mirror again, looking at his red rimmed eyes.
If he looked close enough in the mirror, he may catch a glimpse of her panicked worried face. "Please, Rinn. Don't. You don't need to do this." Urgently, she spoke these words.
That was certainly enough to spook the kid. He let out a startled yelp and rushed to the door to unlock it and fling it open. Terry looked just as surprised for a moment then concerned, "What did you do??" Rinn was looking spooked still and looking around uneasily, no longer worried about his bleeding wrists.
Terry rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a towel then saw the empty bottles on the floor. He returned to Rinn and wrapped his wrists firmly in the towel, angry but more concerned for the boy...thankfully Rinn wasn't going down the street but across and he'd eaten a bunch of magnesium pills, tylenol and gravol. They would have to go to the hospital to have his stomach pumped but he wouldn't die. "Come on..." He murmured softly and started walking with Rinn to the door.
Once her brother opened the door and Terry confronted him, she knew he would be fine. Instead of following, she sank down onto the floor, and at some point Death made her appearance.
"Even in death, you fight fiercely to protect him."
"I have to. Want to. He's family. He can't die too."
"Yeah. I need a break at some point."
The warlock didn't laugh.
