Mellisah spent several days in solitude, separated from her beloved children. Meanwhile, her mother, Beauty, had endured the passage of time, her once vibrant spirit now dulled by the weight of age. First, her sight had abandoned her, leaving her in a world of darkness. Then, a cruel twist of fate bestowed upon her a fractured left knee, rendering her lame and confined to a life of immobility. This burden weighed heavily on Mellisah's heart, consuming her thoughts and causing her great distress.
One fateful morning, as the sun began to cast its golden rays upon the world, Mellisah awoke from her slumber. A longing for solace and a desire to breathe in the rejuvenating air of the river beckoned her. She ventured to the river bank, where the gentle breeze whispered secrets and the rhythmic waves danced with the ocean's melody. Lost in her thoughts, Mellisah's foot brushed against an object, firm yet strangely familiar. Curiosity compelled her to bend down and investigate. To her astonishment, it was the very leg that had plagued her mother, the leg that had been fractured and caused her lameness.In a state of disbelief, she was rendered speechless as her eyes beheld the unimaginable sight before her. With tears streaming down her face, she tenderly lifted her mother's lifeless form, her cries echoing through the air as she desperately called out her mother's name. Startled by the commotion, her children hurriedly rushed to the scene, their hearts pounding with trepidation. As they arrived, their eyes widened in shock, mirroring their mother's anguish, and they too succumbed to the overwhelming grief that enveloped them.
Clint, consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts, pondered the mysterious circumstances that had led to his grandmother's untimely demise. Had a venomous serpent sunk its fangs into her delicate flesh? Or perchance, had she stumbled upon a treacherous log, causing her to meet an unfortunate fate? Countless possibilities raced through Clint's mind, yet none among the trio possessed the answers they so desperately sought. Together, they carried the lifeless body back to the sanctuary of their home, gently removing the garments that once adorned their beloved matriarch. In the solemn hours that followed, they laid her to rest, finding solace in the sacred ground that now cradled her eternal slumber, just beyond the confines of their own humble abode.Three weeks had passed since Mellisah laid her mother to rest, and a dark cloud of affliction loomed over her household. Clint and Bridget, her beloved children, succumbed to a relentless onslaught of ailments, one after another. Desperate to alleviate their suffering, Mellisah tirelessly sought remedies, yet her efforts only seemed to exacerbate their afflictions. The conventional path of seeking medical aid was barred to her, for her children were not ordinary beings of this earthly realm. Their bodies operated on a mysterious wavelength, diverging from the norm of human existence. Mellisah knew all too well that the doctors would struggle to unravel the enigma behind their maladies. Even if a diagnosis were to be reached, the prospect of finding a cure or a medicine to treat their illnesses seemed insurmountable. Each dose of medicine would merely usher in another ailment, a cruel cycle of suffering. Thus, Mellisah found herself with no choice but to witness her children endure excruciating agony, their bodies ravaged by unyielding pain.Her heart, burdened by a lifetime of encounters, teetered on the precipice of ceasing its rhythmic dance. A desolate existence consumed her, devoid of even a glimmer of hope. Then, as if the fates themselves were playing a cruel game, her children miraculously recovered from their ailments, only to pass the torch of sickness onto their weary mother. Yet, Mellisah's affliction took a peculiar form - a sleep disorder that held her captive in the realm of dreams, causing her to slumber through entire days without stirring. This peculiar state of slumber stirred great concern within her children, but their knowledge of her condition prevented them from suspecting anything amiss. And so, the peculiar dance of sleep and wakefulness continued, until one fateful day when they discovered their mother sprawled upon the ground. Yet, blinded by the familiarity of her sleeping disorder, they remained oblivious to the true gravity of the situation.Clint and Bridget gently guided their mother to her resting place, carefully arranging her on the soft mattress. They observed her intently, only to realize that Mellisah remained unresponsive, causing tears to well up in their eyes. The gravity of the situation was unfathomable. If their mother truly passed away, who would care for them? Could they possibly navigate this overwhelming reality? These questions echoed through their minds as they continued to gaze upon their motionless mother. It was not a mere case of sleep deprivation; rather, the weariness that had accumulated from a lifetime of tireless endeavors. With a shallow breath, Mellisah departed, leaving behind two grown children to face the world alone.