#ᴘᴀᴛʀɪɪɪᴀʀᴄʜ. thread 002.

[matriiiarch]

IT WAS A TRICKY SITUATION OVERALL, considering Morticia's state and what they would have to do in order to reverse the spell that was cast. Trying to explain the logistics of it was not going to be easy. Grandmama seemed to have forgotten that until Gomez brought it to her attention. ❝ Oh, right… yeah. ❞ The older woman cringed. Meanwhile, Morticia sat there watching them discuss though she couldn't overhear every word. Every so often glancing towards the children who didn't seem phased in the slightest over what their grandmother had just announced. In fact, they seemed quite understanding. Which, only confused Morticia more. How was everyone so calm over the knowledge that she would have to be killed in order to gain back her memories? As if it was such a simple thing. It was only natural for her initial reaction to be perplexed and terrified. Was this all a ruse? Had all of this been some horrific game? How would she even know for sure? Far too many questions rolled through her mind in that moment, so when Gomez came back towards her, she flinched slightly. Though she could see the confliction on his face, she could tell that this wasn't easy for him either. None of this had been easy overall in fact, Gomez was receiving the worst of it all. Eyes staring widely at him once he kneeled before her, she could feel her heart fluttering wildly in her chest from nerves, her body trembling. It was prominent when he finally took hold of her hands. ❝ Gomez… ❞ she whispered his name but allowed him to speak. Odd was a minor word in comparison to how she was feeling about their family in that moment, her jaw clenching and yet, the look of sincere love and care in his eyes is what somehow managed to calm her even for a moment. His query wasn't responded to immediately, she took in his words and tried to follow them in a sensical manner. But then again, nothing about this seemed sensical, to which he had acknowledged. They had gotten rather close within the last few days and all the while he had done nothing but give her every reason to trust him. She'd seen the photographs, the family albums, the look of love in his eyes whenever she entered into the room. How tender his touch was and the tone of his voice when talking about who she used to be. Her breathing calmed as she looked at him, eyes lingering over the genuine expression on his face. Grandmama waited in the wings, holding the book of spells in her hands, anticipating a reaction of some sort and yet, still seemingly quite idle. ❝ Yes. ❞ She finally said, gripping his hand. ❝ I trust you. ❞

matriiiarch​:

WITH MEMORIES FADED, THE CONCEPT OF DEATH had not been as grand as it once used to be. She was left horrified by the very suggestion that killing her would fix the situation and bring her memories back. To her, in that moment, it made no sense. So many questions flooded her mind as she gripped tightly to the back of her chair. Eyes wandering until they took note of Gomez pulling grandmama aside. Surely, there was a different solution, she thought. There just had to be.

With grandmama pulled to the side, the old woman looked over at Gomez with furrowed brows and a perplexed expression at first. It wasn’t until he began to express his concerns that she finally released an understanding, ❝ ah! ❞ Though she didn’t seem all too concerned in the slightest as she shook her head. Single finger pointing aggressively at the woman who sat behind them, ❝ Morticia’s still in there, somewhere. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be experiencing even the slightest bit of memory. ❞ She turned to glance over her shoulder briefly before returning to Gomez, attempting to lower her voice. ❝ Do you have any true doubts that somehow she’s forgotten how to love you? ❞ There had been those small moments, after all. How grandmama would even know about them was always so baffling and yet, that had been one of her greatest powers.  

“It’s not that I doubt that, but how do we begin to explain such a concept to her in this state?” As much as he could beg Morticia to trust him and this solution, he knew she’d still be terrified by the idea. It was like if they tried to explain their way of existing to those outside the family — nobody could quite understand what they meant by it or how such a curse came into effect. Morticia was still part of the family, of course, but Gomez knew he had to look at it from her perspective right now. Now, his question was a simple one but, unfortunately, without a simple answer: How could he go through with this in a way that wouldn’t damage this form of Morticia in a way that wouldn’t be enjoyable for any of them?

He looked back at her, fighting with this inner conflict he was now faced with. His mother-in-law knew about magic and the cures to such spells, so he had to trust her. However, he had to also ensure that Morticia’s trust in him didn’t wane as he followed through with it. The only thing he could do leading up to it was communicate with Morticia and show her that death wasn’t something to be feared within their family.

“Morticia, my love,” He had stepped away from Grandmama now and took his place beside his wife. Crouched beside her, his hands found hers. “I know it sounds awful and nonsensical, but she’s right. Death will be the only way.” Before she could speak, Gomez shook his head and continued, “Our family may seem odd to you, but we aren’t. We’re normal and this is how we do things.” Gomez had tried to match her way of thinking throughout this entire mess, but it was still a struggle.

“You trust me, don’t you?”

[matriiiarch]

@patriiiarch

GRANDMAMA HAD BEEN AT IT AGAIN. It wasn’t so unusual for Morticia to hear the constant commotion coming from her mother’s room and yet, something about the old woman’s chanting tonight didn’t seem quite right. She pauses in her steps, curiosity plagued on her face as she leans a little closer to the door. The words seemed strange to her, unrecognizable even, she can’t quite make it out through the thickness of the wood. It had to have been a new type of spell, but mama was always quick in sharing her experiments, especially with Morticia. Even the children were often used as test subjects, but she had only recently checked on them in the attic, playing with the Judas Cradle. ❝ Mama. ❞ She calls through the door though no response is given. Instead, her mother’s voice becomes louder, a bit more frantic in tone which causes Morticia’s brow to arch with suspicion. ❝ Mama? ❞ Raising a hand, the back of her knuckles rap against the wood and then there was silence on the other end. A peculiar smell reaches her nose, not the type of odor that could usually be sensed coming from grandmama’s chambers and it forces her nose to scrunch with some detest. Eyes lowering their sight, she soon takes notice of the thick ascend of smoke rising from beneath and it feels warm at her feet. As she slowly begins to reach towards the door knob, her mother’s voice finally shouts: 

❝ Go away! ❞ 

But the sound seems muffled as if her mouth is covered by something. ❝ Mama, I’m coming in. ❞ Morticia exclaims, her curiosity far too resilient to ignore as she wraps her fingers around the knob and begins to turn. The door cracks open and already do the fumes become overwhelming as it devours her face. 

❝ Morticia, no! ❞ 

Griselda stood in the center of the room surrounded by an assortment of old bottles and a smoldering cauldron that filled the room with a heavy mist. Stepping into the room, it takes Morticia a moment to notice the gas mask covering her mother’s face, free hand waving away at the smoke in front of her as she coughs from the heinous fumes that infest her nostrils like the smell of a freshly cut garden on a hot summer day. It’s uncertain as to whether it was the thick fog of smoke or something else, but all too suddenly does she begin to feel light-headed, the images in front of her beginning to blur and a strange nausea overcomes her. Had it not been for the rancid odor, she might have enjoyed it. Allowing for her eyes to blink several times, she attempts in taking a step back though her feet wobble in the process and soon does the gas mask become all the more present once it’s directly in front of her. Griselda stood beside her then with hands outstretched and reaching in order to catch her daughter once she began to tumble, but it wasn’t enough to keep her head from smashing hard against the corner of the door knob causing her body to go limb onto the floor. 

❝ Ooooooh – Gomez! Come quick! ❞ 

Taking hold of Morticia’s wrists, the older woman dragged her into the hall before slamming the bedroom door shut in order to keep the vapor at bay. With the gas mask removed, she tossed it to the side momentarily and slapped her daughter hard across the face, hoping it would wake her. Nothing. Another slap. Again, nothing. Morticia was like a lifeless corpse laying there in the hallway, her pallor seemingly becoming more flushed though it was uncertain whether it had been from the smoke or Griselda’s hand.

❝ GOMEZ! ❞